Change my Destiny
by ChaosxPaladin
Summary: My brain wasn't exactly top notch at the moment, so I took the time then to take a good look at my surroundings. As I looked, I could only utter one thing. "Where the hell am I?" Vote for a pairing with the OC! UPDATE: Chapter 38: A Welcoming Party Like No Other
1. RE: Where the hell am I?

Zero no Tsukaima: Change My Destiny

I AM STILL ALIVE AND KICKING! Writing the chapters for Change my Destiny season 2 is taking much longer than I thought, however do not be alarmed! I am still going to finish this fanfic! In the meantime, during my writers block period I will be fixing and editing previous chapters for future convenience.

I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or any of the References I use. So please don't shut this fanfic down… =3

_It's already that time of year again huh…? I guess it can't be helped. Might as well get my books and study for my Exams. _I thought to myself as I walked down the pathway. I turned to my street, sighing as I brushed my short, ebony black hair to the left.

My name is Michael. I'm just a regular 16 year old high school student with usually nothing better to do at home than watch Anime, train martial arts or play video games, particularly fighting games. To be honest, I've lived a very quiet life. Outside of school, I don't have a social life, and as much as I hate living like this, I don't make any efforts to change it so I have no right to complain. Still, sometimes I wish something interesting would happen, like how in Bleach Ichigo met Rukia, or how in Gundam 00 Setsuna was saved by, you guessed it, a Gundam… Maybe I'm fantasizing way too much, but if you were me you would understand. With a family that spends more time on making a living than with their own children, you would think that I would be a bigger daredevil. However, past events have caused me to take such decisions more seriously. Life is a fragile thing after all.

Pondering on which subject I should study first, I opened up my garage and slipped in, only to jerk to a stop. I blinked once, then twice, before rubbing my eyes. Was I seeing things? Am I dreaming? Is this some sort of prank that the neighbours decided to pull because I make too much noise when training martial arts? Floating a few feet in front of me was what looked like a green portal. It was like one of those portal rifts that appear in Metroid Prime 2. What the hell was this thing doing here? How did it get here in the first place? Curiosity getting the better of me, I slowly walked up to the portal. Examining it for a bit, I decided to further examine the subspace portal, and reached out.

Bad idea.

As soon as my skin brushed the portal, like a tidal wave it reached out and wrapped its alien-like being around my arm.

"What the hell?" I cried. Was the portal absorbing me? This is insane! Aren't I supposed to just walk in? I mean, that's the way it worked in all the video games…these thoughts rushed through my head, but it didn't matter. This thing was going to eat me alive.

"God… damn it…" I mumbled as I desperately struggled against the portal. I pulled my arm, but no avail. I tried kicking it, but it absorbed my leg as well. Great. Just Great.

What was up with this thing? And then I couldn't struggle anymore as the portal absorbed my entire being and I was thrown into a black pit.

I screamed as I fell – too loud, really. My throat was going to hurt after this; well, if I was still alive after this fall. I felt myself falling, but I could not see where – well, I was falling _downwards _obviously, but I had no idea what was at the bottom or how far it was. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, as I desperately tried to calm down and think. But my thoughts were interrupted as I heard a voice emerge from the blackness.

"Please answer my Guidance!" A high pitched, female voice called out. And then a small light appeared, one that slowly expanded. It pulled me in, and I fell through to the other side…

I ended up in the dark once again.

I felt my body stir, and I tried to think of what just happened. A dream? Or did it seriously happen?  
"A human?" I heard a far away female voice say.  
"No matter how you look at it, he's just a commoner." This time it was another voice. This one was male, with an accent mixed between British and Australian. Wait, is that even possible?  
"Y-yeah, a commoner no doubt." the female voice from earlier replied.

I opened my eyes, only to reveal a short pink eyed and haired girl, wearing what looked like a black witch robe with a star broach just below her collar. Under the robe was a white, formal, long sleeved buttoned shirt, with a matching black skirt and dress shoes. She looked like someone directly out of an Anime convention, honestly. Who went around dressed like that? I sat up, grunting in the process.

"Agh… what the hell was that…" I mumbled.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

_What did she say? _My brain wasn't exactly top notch at the moment, so I took the time then to take a good look at my surroundings. There was a large (30 or so from the looks of it) group of people wearing the same uniform parallel to me. I looked behind me, and there was a huge stone tower that stretched who knows how far. As I looked, I could only utter one thing.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked. They ignored my question.

"Where are you from commoner?" the pink haired girl asked.

"What kind of a question is that?" I said to her, annoyed. Commoner? I had just fallen out of some sort black hellhole and I hurt – _badly _– all over, and she has the nerve to call me a commoner? Did I somehow get transported back several hundred thousand years? She was about to respond, but a dark skinned redhead spoke before she did.

"Haha, well at least you met your big declaration, summoning for a commoner!" she laughed. Everyone else followed.

"I just made a small mistake!" she growled, staring at everyone.

"That's just like you, Louise the Zero, always surpassing our expectations!" said a blonde male with short, finely combed hair while they all laughed. He sounded like the male voice I heard earlier.

"Wait a sec, what's going on here- I started," but the girl named Louise cut me off.

"Shut up!" she screeched, but everyone still laughed. She then walked up to a bald man wearing glasses and a blue robe, holding staff as tall as him.

"Mr. Colbert!" she said. His name was Colbert? Unusual name… Now I definitely would bet that I'm several hundred thousand years back in time.

"What is it?" he responded.

"Please allow me to summon once more!" Summon? What the hell were these people going on about? I was summoned? Like, Final Fantasy summoned, using Materia or something?

"I cannot allow that." Colbert replied almost instantly, shaking his head."

"B-but why?" she complained. Snickers and suppressed laughs came from the crowd around us.

"This Ceremony is a holy ritual that decides the eternity of a Mage's life. Asking to re-do it is a disgrace to the entire ritual!"

Wait, did he say Mage? I don't remember there being Mages in the Medieval Era, only Witches. Then again, scientists would be the more correct- Wait, what am I thinking? I need to do something!

"Whether you approve of it or not, it is decided he is your familiar."

"Wait a minute, please." I said standing up, but Miss pink-haired-anger-issues interrupted me again.  
"But, Colbert-sensei! I've never heard of anyone using a human, a commoner as a familiar before!" protested Louise, as the students once again started their boisterous laughing. She looked around anxiously.

"Whether he's a commoner or a noble, there are no exceptions. Continue with the ritual." ordered Colbert, giving a stern glare. The girl's face completely flushed.

"What? With this?" she whined, poking me with what looked like a wand. I was seriously getting annoyed.

"I'm not a squishy toy…" I mumbled. She either didn't hear or completely ignored my comment.

"Hurry up! Or do I really have to expel you?" Colbert warned, eyes flashing.

"Yeah, yeah!" shouted someone from the crowd.

"Go Louise!" The blonde said. Laughter followed. Looking defeated, the girl named Louise turned me toward her, and looked straight into my eyes.

"Be grateful, normally no one would get this from a noble in their lifetime!" she hissed spitefully into my face.

"Uh, mind telling me what's going on?" I asked, but she lifted up her wand. I hope she wasn't going to turn me into a frog or anything…

"My Name Is Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière. To the pentagon that holds the five powers, bless this one and yield him as my Familiar…" she continued with what I guessed what the ritual.

"Hey can you just stop for one sec-"

"Just be quiet and stay still!" she whispered. She then held my head in place, and started moving closer to me.

Wait, is she going to kiss me? What kind of a ritual is this? I thought. My pulse quickened, and her face drew ever so closer.

"C-can you wait for a second?" I cried, but too late. Her lips fell upon mine, and I felt my body freeze with delight and shock. Her lips were soft and warm. Her eyes were closed, and the scent of Melons filled my nose. To be honest, it was actually quite pleasant. I was tempted to kiss her back, but confusion and shock held me back ever so slightly.

She pulled away, stood up and walked back towards Colbert.

"The contract has been completed. Congratulations, Miss Vallière." Colbert said.  
I looked at them confused.

"That it? What kind of ritual is-" I started, but I felt my body heat up.

"Wait... What the hell, what's going on..?" I asked, my voice straining. My body heated up nigh instantly, my vision becoming blurry. I felt my balance waver, and as if controlled, the heat concentrated on my left hand.

"W-What is this?" I grunted in pain. I looked at my left hand, and strange symbols appeared on it. I staggered, feeling my legs go numb.

And then I screamed. This thing hurt like hell! Was this part of the Ritual? Soon enough though, the pain started to fade away. I felt my body cool, and I felt extremely dizzy. My legs gave way, and I lost consciousness once again.

I felt myself wake up, but I didn't open my eyes. Thoughts and memories that couldn't have happened replayed themselves in my head. Did all that really happen? Only one way to find out. Slowly, I opened my eyes to confirm my surroundings. A small candlelight blinded me, but I adjusted. Where was I now?

I was in a relatively large room, roughly the size of something you would see in a three star Motel. There was a large queen-size mattress next to me, taking up one third of the room. Near the door was a table where the candle resided. A large closet sat at the back of the room by the door, and a drawer half the size of it stood beside it.

"So you finally woke up." I heard a voice say. I jumped and looked where the voice came from, but it was Ms. Pink-Anger-Issues. Did she say her name? It was Louise something de la vlabbiere, I think… I stood.

"So it wasn't a dream huh…" I said, either that, I had finally gone insane.

"Look, after much discontent I have given up and decided to take you as my familiar, so be grateful." She said, walking toward her closet.

"Uhh, right…" I said. She faced me again.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Changing the subject so soon huh? Well, anyway my name is Michael. Michael Diaz." I said. "Oh, and for the record, no, I'm not related to Cameron Diaz."

Louise gave me a confused look. "You're not related to whom?"

She didn't know who Cameron Diaz was? Either she was seriously media deprived or…I was not on Earth any more. "Uh, never mind." She took me on my word and proceeded mumbling to herself as if I had never spoken that last bit.

"Michael Diaz? What an unusual name…" she mumbled.

"Yeah, and Louise la something de la vlabbiere isn't." I sarcastically remarked.

"Hey, its Louise la Blanc de la Vallière! V-A-L-L-I-E-R-E. How could you possibly mistake that for vlabbiere?" she said, clearly insulted.

"Hey, why don't you try being eaten by a portal, then falling through a death pit of darkness for God knows how long, fly into a pit of whiteness, only then to wake up in a strange environment with people wearing uniforms that only the Japanese would think of! It is _not_ a fun ride." I said, stressing the not. Face flustered, Louise grabbed her hair in frustration.

"Ugh, why is my familiar such a commoner? Why not a Dragon or a Griffon? I wanted something cooler!"

"Well sorry if I didn't meet your expectations. If that's all you have to say, then I'm gonna take a walk." I said, getting up.

"Wait, where do you think you're going, I'm not done yet!" she yelled, grabbing hold of my arm. I turned back to her.

"Well, I'm going to stay here right? I'm just going to take a look around, since I'm not familiar with this place. Don't worry though, I won't run. It's not like I have any place to go to…" I said.

"Well, if you're going out, then take these!" she replied. She let go my my arm, walking towards her bed. She reached under it, then tossed me a bag.

"What are these?" I asked, rummaging through the bag. Inside was another uniform she wore, along with several frilly pink undergarments and robes. Why was she giving me _her _clothes?

"You're my familiar right? Clean, wash, and other miscellaneous activities are all part of your duty. It's only natural. Also, when you come back, make sure to prepare my clothes for the morning." She said imperiously, putting on her sleeping robe. Wait…this what being a familiar is? _A slave? _I opened my mouth, but she cut me off.

"Rest assured, if you work properly, you'll be fed."

"Ugh, whatever." I said, walking out.

Now I know why my friends call me soft… I thought. Speaking of them, I wondered what they were doing right now. Wondered if they'd noticed I was missing yet…

I walked down the long stone corridor, guided by torches. Man, this place really does look like something out of the Medieval Era. Just what time period am I in anyway? After reaching the end of the corridor, I found a spiralling stairwell. Man, am I glad I'm not claustrophobic or I would be a basket case by now. Reaching the bottom, and I turned the corner but reflexively dashed back. The blonde guy I saw earlier was flirting with a girl in the same uniform, the moonlight shining on their bodies. I took note of the colour of her mantle, which was brown as opposed to the black one the blonde was wearing.

"I'm good at making soufflé!" The female said, fluttering her eyelashes up at him.

"I would love to try it sometime." He replied, with an easy smile that made the girl giggle.

"Really?" she said, excitement in her voice.

"Of course, Katie. I cannot tell lies in front of your eyes." He whispered. God, what a player.

"Master Guiche…" Katie said, clearly in love with him. If she had a sign around her neck that proclaimed "HEAD OVER HEELS FOR YOU", it couldn't have been more obvious.

"There cannot exist any deceitfulness in my feelings toward you…"

I didn't feel like disturbing them, so I decided to try sneaking past them.

"Oh forget it, I'll just walk through…" I sighed, giving up. I strode passed them, but the blonde named Guiche stopped me.

"Oh, well if it isn't the commoner Louise summoned."

"Isn't he the one at the opening ceremony?" Katie said, shooting me a look that only too clearly showed exactly what she thought of me. "He's a big topic among the first years."

First years? So the brown outfits are first years… Does that make black outfits second year?

"He suddenly fell unconscious and was unable to move, so it was a big hassle for us." Guiche stated while I tried to walk away, but he stopped me again.

"Wait, do you not have any gratitude towards the noble that troubled his hand for you?" I turned toward him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks, merci, arigatou, have a nice day." I said abruptly, walking away as fast as possible.

"Hmph, So rude…" I heard one of them whisper behind my back. I decided to ignore that.

...

The bright sun shined through the window, waking me up. I stretched from my haystack beside the bed, did a few squats, and examined the room again.

"Ah, here they are." I said, picking up Louise's clothes. Idly, I wondered why I was even going to bother doing as she had told me. Then again, I always was a good gopher. I looked at the bed, and noticed Louise was still fast asleep, her soft white skin shining under the sunlight. Looking closely, she is really cute when she isn't awake. I almost don't want to wake her but...

"Hey, wake up!" I said, pulling the sheets away. She stirred, and sat up from her bed.

"Huh? Oh, right… Didn't I summon you just yesterday? She said, picking up the clothes. She was silent for a moment.

"Where's my underwear?" Was she for real?

"Well, I felt it was rude to rummage through your drawers, because where I come from, that's a criminal offense… So I decided to ask you." I said.

"It's the bottom drawer." She pointed toward the small drawer next to the closet. I quickly grabbed it, trying hard not to think of what I was doing, and sat facing away from her.

"What are you doing? Help me get dressed," she hollered.

"Help you get-? Put on your own clothes!" I retorted. She gave me a frustrated look.

"When there's a servant, nobles never put their own clothes on!"

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Besides, most Nobles I know wouldn't stoop as low as to have a _commoner_ such as myself handle their delicate, beautiful and perfect bodies because of how unworthy and filthy we are." I sneered. Sheesh, what was up with her?

"I see. Then no meal for you!"

I was ready for that.

"Fine then. Let me starve to death. Let those other people out there, laugh at you for not taking proper care of your own Familiar!" I shouted, pointing at the door. This caught her off guard.

"W-well then so be it! I never wanted you as my familiar anyway. Your stubborn, indecent, and-"

"And what? Go, finish your sentence!" I yelled again, rising to full height. Now that I think about it, she's a full head shorter than me.

"That's what I thought." I said when she didn't reply. Her features completely flustered, Louise could do nothing but look at the floor in shame. I sighed. God damn it...

"Hey, what are you doing?"she yelped in surprise as I yanked off her sleeping robe.

"I'm dressing you. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But didn't you just say-"

"Forget about it. I have a weakness for small, cute girls like you." I said, dressing her. I then sensed her staring.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, N-nothing." She said, turning away.

"Also, its been bugging me for a while, but where am I?"

"Huh? Oh, this is is the Tristein Magic Academy, a school specifically for teaching nobles how to use magic properly." Louise stumbled upon her words, confused by the question.

"Okay, its a start. What country are we in?" I replied as I buttoned up her shirt.

"We're in the Country of Tristein." Louise replied again, becoming slightly agitated.

"Which continent?" I asked, ignoring her malice.

"The continent of Halkeginia."

My body froze for a split second before I continued dressing Louise. Looks like I'm really not on earth anymore.

-

"Okay, now that's done." I sighed, wiping the sweat on my face. Who knew putting on female clothing would be so frustrating…

"Come. Let's go to breakfast."

We then walked down the stairwell, and headed to the main hallway. Taking a left, we walked down a flight of stairs revealing a large mess hall.

"Wow, this place is really something…" I thought to myself. I looked at the tables, and they were filled with all sorts of meals.

We sat down by an empty seat, but I already figured it out.

"These seats are for "nobles only" aren't they?"

"You're quite smart. Now hurry up and sit down." Louise said, pointing down.

I looked down, and a small piece of bread lay on a small paper plate.

"Well, its better than nothing." I sighed, sitting on the cold solid floor. I took a bite, and almost threw a fist in anger. The bread was stale.

"Frigging Nobles…" I thought.

After finishing her meal, Louise and I walked out to the front courtyard, near where the summoning was held. We were quiet for a while, but Louise started talking again.

"During a meal, familiars are supposed to be outside on standby. You're lucky to have sat next to me."

How was I lucky? I was stuck in another world as the slave of some stuck-up girl I had only just met!

"Lucky? Oh please, getting bitten by a radioactive spider, only to receive super powers is lucky compared to this." Louise took no heed to my remark. We finally entered the courtyard, and I noticed some people sitting at tables, being served by maids and waiters.

"What's going on here, some special occasion or something?" I asked.

"Kind of. There's no lesson today for second years; this is to start communication with the familiars they just summoned."

"Oh?" I heard a voice from behind. We turned, and I jumped.

"What the? A salamander! And it's frigging huge!" I exclaimed, jumping back out of reflex. It was unlike anything I had ever seen on discovery. In fact, the lizard was more mystical than that. The Salamander was the size of a crocodile, and had fiery red, bumpy skin. The end of its tail was on fire. As I further examined it, I noticed its short, stubby feet had talons. I then forced my gaze towards the source of voice. It was the red head.

"Is this your first time seeing a Salamander?" She giggled, her tone of voice exotic and seducing.

"Well, no actually. The one's I've seen were 100 times smaller than that, and green to boot." I replied. The redhead laughed in response.

"Hey Louise, are you sure you just didn't grab a commoner that was walking by?"

"What are you talking about?" Louise muttered, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"She's talking about me." I remarked.

"Oh, what's this? A familiar insulting its master! You deceived us quite well with that explosion Louise."

"You're wrong, and you just shut up." She said, clearly agitated.

"Well, he's just fitting for you isn't he, Louise the Zero?" She laughed, walking away. Her salamander trotted behind its Master.  
"What's up with that girl?" Louise growled, clenching her fist in anger. She turned to me.

"Don't just stand there! At the very least, go get me some tea!" She scowled before walking away.

"Sheesh, she really needs to take anger management…" I mumbled. I walked around looking for some tea, when suddenly a flash of purple raced past me.

"Whoa!" I yelled. I stumbled back, only to find myself hitting something else, followed by a scream. I immediately turned, to see a maid with black hair and asian-like eyes on the grass. There was a small cake beside her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said, picking her up

"No, its okay, I'm fine actually." She smiled. Her voice was angelic, a clear soprano compared to Louise's shrill and angry voice. She noticed the cake on the floor, and reached out.

"Oh, its okay, I got it." I said, picking up the cake for her. I stood, and then placed it back on the plate, when I saw her staring at my hand.

"Oh, could you perhaps be the one who became Ms. Vallière's Familiar?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah. What about it?"

"For a commoner to be summoned as a familiar is already being gossiped about," she replied, ogling at me, but at the same time trying to hide the fact.

"Really… To be honest though, the commoner-noble thing is a bit strange to me." I said sheepishly. She gave me a confused look.

"Well, Nobles are people who can cast Magic. Everyone else is a commoner. Don't you know?"

"Well, where I come from there are no nobles or commoners." I said. _Let alone Magic…_

"Oh really?" She seemed intrigued by that.

Yeah. Well, what about you? What are you doing here?"

"I have been blessed to serve here. My name is Siesta, I'm just a commoner like you."

"I'm Michael. Nice to meet you." I said.

"Michael… That's a peculiar name, isn't it?" she started, but a voice called out to us.

"Hey! Is the cake still not ready?" It was Guiche again. He was sitting with another girl. A blonde with curly pigtails. I knew it! Player...

"Oh, yes right away!" Siesta called out, but I held the plate out of her reach.

"Its okay, I'll bring it to him."

"But that's been…"

"It's okay… Its fine for that stuck up moron." I mumbled, walking toward him.

"Here you go sir." I said, placing the cake in front of him.

"Oh, also bring me more tea." He said. I walked away, but stayed close enough so I could hear and speak to him.

"Your familiar is quite cute, isn't he?" Guiche said to the blonde. A black spotted maroon frog hopped from her head and onto the table. The girl giggled.

"You're as flattering as ever." commented the girl.

"Well, I cannot tell lies in front of your eyes.

I clenched my fists in anger. _Playing with girl__'__s hearts, you two timer…_But then the girl's expression grew solemn. "But recently, I heard a rumour that your also dating a first year…" she said slowly, keeping her eyes on her cup. Guiche stiffened.

"Wh-what nonsense! There cannot exist-

"Any deceitfulness to my feelings toward you, right?" I concluded, walking up to the table again. They turned towards me.

"W-what are you-" he started, but I cut him off.

"Oh, I understand now. The colors represent different grade levels! Black being second year, and the girl last night wearing brown was a first year! So that's how it is…" I said. The girl then turned to him, suspicion clear in her eyes.

"What's he talking about Guiche?" she started, but Guiche stood up.

"Hurry back to your duties, server!"

"Sorry, but I'm not a server." I claimed.

"Y-you're Louise the Zero's-"

"Thank you very much for last night! Well, see you." I said laughing.

"Hey Guiche, what was he talking about?" The blonde demanded.

"Ah, you see… I told you that last night…" I his voice faded, my gaze placed on a confused first year holding what looked like a soufflé. As I walked up to her, I heard him yell in panic. I grinned, ready to teach him a lesson.

"Master Guiche… Where could he be?" said the first year, looking anxiously for him.

"Guiche? You mean that guy with the other girl over there?" I said, pointing to him.

"Ah! Master Guiche!" she squealed, as she ran up to him. I followed behind. I definitely wanted to see this.

"K-Katie!" he said, immediately letting go of the blonde. Hey, there," he said casually.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Master Guiche!" she said. I saw the blonde girl's eyes change to a glare.

"This is gonna be good." I said.

"This is the homemade soufflé I was talking about last night. I thought it would be the perfect day for a tea party!" she exclaimed.

"O-oh, why thank you thank you..." Guiche stuttered. Sweat poured down his face, and the edges of his smile shook.

"Last Night?" The blonde girl asked.

"O-oh, yes well, you see…"

"Oh thank goodness for you. You were saying how you really wanted to try it right?" I smirked, cutting in. Guiche's head turned sharply.

"Y-you!" he said with shock.

"What, it's the truth isn't it? I said. His head darted back and forth between Katie and the blonde girl.

"Guiche, what is the meaning of this?" the blonde demanded.

"W-wait, what are you talking about? You're creating a superfluous misunderstanding between these girls." He said, as everyone gathered to see the commotion.

"What's going on?" one person asked.

"It seems Guiche is starting something with that commoner familiar!" said another. Soon, everyone was around.

"What misunderstanding? You brought it on yourself you two-timer!" I exclaimed. Guiche gasped, his whole body freezing with fright. Jackpot.

"Two-timer?" Gasped the first year.

"So you were putting your hands on this first year!" She growled, and started emitting off serious steam.

"Y-you're mistaken, Montmorency the Perfume!" Guiche said, backing away. Please do not contort your rose-like face with anger! This is some mist-"

"How awful of you! You said we were together!" the first year cried, tears springing into her eyes.

"In any case, both of you please calm down-

"YOU LIAR!" they both cried at the same time. Then, Montmorency followed up with a slap to his face, and they both stalked off as everyone else laughed at Guiche, who fell hard on his behind.

"Haha, you got dumped Guiche!" one cried.

"Excellent, now maybe I have a chance with Montmorency", a second-year boy said gleefully, running after the retreating figure of the blonde.

"Well, it was your own doing." said another, as I walked up to him.

"This is what you get for playing with girl's hearts you loser!" I said. His face quelled with anger.

"It seems you do not know the etiquette towards a noble…"

"Well, too bad for you, I wasn't raised in a place where nobles exist!" I countered.

"Very well…" he said, grinning.


	2. RE: Commoner's debut! Strange power?

Zero no Tsukaima: Change My Destiny

Deleted this one by accident. Sorry about that.

I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or any of the References I use. So please don't shut this fanfic down… =3

"A duel huh?" I said.

"Precisely, I challenge you to a duel! For a person who statuses as a commoner and familiar, it seems you do not know your place! To disgrace me, and moreover make two ladies cry!"

"I would add that they were pretty pissed. Take it from me pal, you just aren't girl material. How about a nice pony instead?" I said, with everyone laughed.

He clenched his teeth in anger, and pointed a rose at me. A rose…? How melodramatic could you get?

"You better prove that resolve! I'll be waiting in the Vestri court!" he said, and stormed off. As he did, Louise walked up to me, eyes flashing dangerously.

"What do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed, grabbing my hand.

"What? I only did to him what he deserved."

"Its not the matter of what! To foolishly accept a duel like that, what were you thinking?" shouted Louise as she dragged me out of the courtyard. She's actually pretty strong, to be able to pull me at this pace.

"I was thinking about how I was going to kick his ass. Where are you taking me anyway?"

"Were going to apologize to him. If we do it now, you may be forgiven."

That made me stop.

"Hurry up-" Louise started, but I pulled my arm away.

"I refuse." I said, cutting her off. As I rubbed my arm to get the blood flowing again, Louise looked at me strangely before I continued. "Why should I apologize to a guy like him? If anything, I need to knock his self centred, obnoxious and melodramatic brain back into place. Something is seriously wrong with that guy's head. " I said, shaking my head.

"You really understand nothing! A commoner can't overcome a noble!" she yelled.

"Noble this, Noble that, its always like that for you isn't it? Did it ever occur to you that even the greatest of men fall once in their life? I told you before Louise, there's a first time for everything, and I'm gonna be the first to show that brat, and all you spoiled nobles that skill is what dominates, not your status!" I yelled back. Louise took a few steps back, strangely discouraged at my words. I stormed past her, walking up to the nearest person.

"Where is the Vestri Court?"

"Oh, it's right over there actually. Near the front gate."

"Thanks a lot." I replied, walking away.

"M-Michael!" Louise called out, following me.

"Wow, what a sight!" One exclaimed as I walked by.

"A commoner challenging a noble?"

"I wonder what will happen?"

"Lets go see!"

"So you decided to come. Well, I compliment you for not running away." Guiche answered in the silence.

"Is flapping that piece of flesh you call a mouth all you can do? Come on, lets get this party started!" I announced. Guiche's eyes narrowed, and the Nobles around us began to murmur amongst themselves. Guiche then lifted his wand.

"Wait!" I heard Louise call out. I turned, seeing her walk between us.

"Guiche, stop this nonsense, its forbidden to duel!"

"What's forbidden is a duel between nobles. This is not so. He is a commoner, so there is no problem." he smirked.

"B-but there's never been anything like this before…" Louise replied, casting her gaze towards the floor.

"Louise, could it be that… you're worried about your familiar?" he taunted. She shook her head violently, her face becoming flustered.

"Who would? Besides, how do you expect me to watch my familiar get beaten to a pulp?"

"Hmph, well whatever you have to say the duel has already begun!" With that, Guiche waved his rose forward, letting a petal fall. Louise walked backwards into the crowd, and a flash of light came from the petal. I covered my eyes on reaction. As my eyes readjusted, a suit of armor as tall as me stood before the crowd, holding a spear.

"My name is Guiche the Bronze. Therefore the Bronze Golem, Valkyrie, shall be your opponent. With that the battle shall-" Guiche started, but I cut him off as I smacked my palm on my forehead.

"Oh for crying out- you really are a noble aren't you? Yeah, do a summoning, get your lackeys to fight your battles for you! Be a pansy and hide behind your golems!" I shouted in disgust. Guiche's eyes dilated in anger, and he pointed his rose at me. Following its orders, the Golem charged head on, and threw a punch.

_Faster than I expected, but nothing I can__'__t handle._ I thought. I dodged the incoming blow with a trained eye, weaving my body around the golem's surprisingly strong left straight. I took a semi crouch boxing stance, and thrust my right fist into its lower midsection. I pulled my punch as I came in contact to avoid bruising my knuckles. The golem doubled over, and I launched it into the air with a strong left uppercut to its chin. As it flew into the air, I used the momentum of my uppercut to spin mid air, and smash my right heel into the breastplate of the golem, sending him flying across the ground to Guiche's feet. As I dropped to the ground, the crowd erupted with cheers around us, stinging my ears a bit. Louise looked at me with wide eyes and she seemed at a loss for words. I had to admit – seeing her with that kind of expression felt great, after she had been complaining about how I was a commoner.

"Are we done warming up yet?" I smirked, as Guiche stared with astonishment on his face.

"D-Do not take me so lightly commoner! Go my golem, crush him!" Guiche yelled. The golem stood up from its prone position, ready to fight again. It was time for round two.

The golem rushed in again, but was ready this time. With a quick feint, it dashed to the left and thrust its spear. Was this guy trying to kill me? I immediately rolled forward, using my momentum to slide across the grass. Reacting quickly, the golem leaped into the air; spear ready to plunge into anything that came its way. Seeing that made me think of Link's sword plant move in Soul Calibur II, which made it even easier to dodge.

Deciding to show off a little, I narrowly avoided the golem's spear as it came down to a halt. The spear pierced the ground with a loud, muffled _thunk_, and I moved in for the offensive. As the golem tried to pull out its spear, I circled it and Ax kicked its arms, effectively breaking the golem's hold on the spear. I dashed in and thrust my right elbow into its midsection, thrust my left palm into its chin and put the golem into a daze by smashing my right knee into its helmet. The golem staggered, and with an exaggerated battle cry and a powerful jump, I tornado kicked the side of the golem's head, sending it tumbling to the ground a second time with a loud _crash!_ The crowd went in uproar and cheered in excitement, as I thoroughly beat down the golem a second time.

"Hey Guiche, you're getting your butt kicked!" shouted one student, followed by the thunderous laughter of the other students. Guiche gritted his teeth in anger.

"No more holding back! I'm going to teach you a lesson, commoner!" He yelled, as he raised his rose once again. The ground shook hard, causing all of us to stumble. Underneath the golem, the earth began to spit out mud, completely covering and consuming the golem. The golem then morphed its shape, making it taller and larger. The spear in its hands disappeared amongst the mud. The mud then crumbled to dust, revealing a reformed golem with no weapons. Instead, the fists of the golems were much larger, almost the size of a basketball. Any damage that had been done to it was gone.

"What the hell?" I cried out in frustration. This is just not fair. You mean he can infinitely repair his golem as long as he has mud? Talk about soiling your hands. I then took a Taekwondo fighting stance, gesturing the golem to come forward. As expected, the golem charged, but unlike before the golem was much, much faster. I instinctively dodged a punch it threw at me, stumbling back. God damn it, he even gave it a stat boost! How annoying...

The golem then charged, lifting its oversized fist with an impossible speed into the air. I spun my whole body to the side as it brought its fist down, effectively obliterating the ground. Its as if the guy is using the god damn gravity hammer! Not only that, the damn thing is swinging it like its a twig! I can't get hit once; I'll be killed! The golem then heaved its arms, spinning its whole body in an attempt to hit me. I back flipped away, putting myself beyond its reach. As it recovered from its spin, I ran forward, and thrust my knee into its face. As the golem stumbled back, it used its left arm to hold itself up while swinging its right at my head. I ducked under the attack as I landed, struggling to keep up. Sweat poured down my face as I retreated once again, desperately trying to think up a strategy.

"Michael! What did I tell you? You can't win against him!" she cried. I saw tears welling up in her eyes, as if she was worried about me.

Was she worried about me?

"Look out!" She cried. I turned my head back to the golem, who was right on top of me. The golem thrust both its basketball sized fists forward, forcing me to jump backwards too late. I put my arms across my chest in an attempt to minimize the damage as I was trust into the air, flying a good distance away from the golem. I held my left arm in pain as I rolled across the ground, trying to scream out but the pain was too intense. It didn't feel like it broke, but it was definitely going to leave much more than a bruise. I didn't care at the moment though. Struggling, I forced myself up, trying to avoid moving my left arm. Louise rushed to my side.

"Get out of the way." I mumbled, my eyes flinching as Louise brushed my left arm with her hand.

"What do you mean? Why? Why are you fighting so hard? I've never seen a commoner like you!" Louise cried, her tears gone but her eyes beet red. I waved her off.

"Listen… I'm fine." I mumbled. My left arm hung uselessly in front of me as I took my stance again, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Should I change stances? No, it won't make a difference. My legs were numb, and my vision flared from the pain.

"Please stop this!" She whispered to me.

"Remove yourself Louise!" Guiche said. The Golem then nodded in agreement. But Louise didn't listen.

"Please stop. You've done well. I'll reward you, so please stop fighting!" she cried. Tears welled up in her eyes again as she gave me a puppy-like stare. I turned towards her, and shoved her out of the way.

"Please, let me finish this." I whispered, as I straightened up.

My vision was blurry, but even in the state I was in I could see Guiche smirk.

"Damn, what do I do?" I thought. But then, like a boot to the head, it hit me. Memories of _that_ lesson replayed in my head.

_Avoid the enemy strike and lunge forward. The enemy loses balance, and you strike with your elbow. The enemy's momentum and attack add to your power. But to use this move, you must predict your enemy's moves. Calm yourself; that is the state of the serene mind…_

"Like a polished mirror…" I mumbled. Man, am I ever glad I played Shenmue. Following instruction, I closed my eyes, calming myself. Soon enough, the pain in my chest began to fade. Everyone's voices, faded to the point where it seemed like I was miles away, yet it was still clear.

"H-Heh, what do you think your going to do by closing your eyes commoner? Go my Golem! Finish him!" Guiche's voice echoed.

Footsteps followed. I could hear it in slow motion. They were far away at first, but soon they got closer.

_Wait…_

The footsteps got louder.

_Wait for it…_

The footsteps stopped.

"NOW!" I yelled. Opening my eyes, I immediately pivoted sideways. The golem missed me by an inch, and tumbled forward. I could feel the force of the attack pass me by, and with a powerful step, I planted my feet into the ground and thrust my right elbow forward. The attack brought the golem's entire body to a halt, like a car crashing into a street light. The breastplate of the armour broke under the immense pressure, and toppled the golem helplessly to the ground,. Pieces of armor scattered, and I grinned. "Jackpot."

There was no reply to my comment. But one cheered. Soon another one followed, followed by another till everyone in the court was cheering. I won. I beat him...Or so I thought. As I sighed with relief, I felt the ground rumble, and the crusted earth took the golem's shattered armor, and reformed it once more.

"Damn it, I forgot he could do that!" I yelled, wincing as the over exertion of the counter elbow assault. At that moment, Guiche grinned, and took a victorious pose.

"Did you really think you could beat my golem so easily commoner? I'll admit I was impressed you beat it so quickly, but it won't go down so easily." He mocked. I was really starting to hate this guy. Regaining my balance, I stood up again ready to fight. He looked at my funnily.

"You plan on continuing? Your one strange commoner…" He said. He lifted up his rose, and let a petal fall in front of me. I cringed for a second, but the white light turned out to be a sword.

"If you plan on continuing, take that sword." He said.

"A touch of death for a splendid duel. Fine then." I remarked. I reached out for the sword, but Louise stopped me.

"D-don't grab that sword! If you take it, he will show no mercy!" she cried out. I sighed.

"Do you think you can win? Look what just happened!" she yelled, standing tall. I looked at her then, with stern and fierce eyes. She took a step back.

"I don't think I'll win, I know I will win!" I announced. The crowd cheered.

"Fine, see if I care idiot!" Louise yelled as she ran out of the way.

"I'll make you regret giving me this. Prepare to get your ass kicked!" I said, picking up the sword up and held it with both hands.

Wait... both hands?

A warm glow suddenly enveloped my body, and the runes on my left hand began to shine. Whats going on? M-my wounds don't hurt anymore! My thoughts were cut off as the golem charged at me, but for some reason, its movement seemed a lot slower than before. It was so slow that I managed to lazily ducked right under its fist and slashed it in half. Everyone gasped quietly, and I stood unfazed. I then gestured him forward.

"You…" Guiche muttered, utterly confused. Then, throwing more rose petals he summoned up several more golems.

"All right, lets get this party started!" I taunted.

Enraged, the golems rushed in. But they underestimated me; for I have watched many master swordsmen fight. I have lived playing fighting games, and trained myself to use this thing. Although I've trained myself with a sword before, something seemed unusually different. I felt like my body was super light, as if I had taken off weights or something. What I couldn't keep up with earlier was now very sluggish. What happened? I decided to think about it later. Besides, now I could keep up with them. Who wouldn't want that kind of advantage?

They didn't stand a chance.

The first golem jumped toward me, but I copied it and jumped into its face. Sword ready, I cut it town mid-air, and stole it's sword. Another tried to get under me, but I stabbed it in place, and used my legs to project myself using it and launched myself at the other 3. I landed, and did a quick spin attack destroying them all at once. Then, for the last one I jumped, vaulted and sliced it in half Prince of Persia style.

"N-no, I will not-" Guiche started, raising his rose, but I gave him no time. I threw the sword I took, missing on purpose by an inch. This caused an opening, and I then charged, tackling him to the ground. I pinned him to the ground with my legs, deciding to end this using a finishing blow.

Guiche screamed, but I took no heed to it. Sword in hand, I plunged my sword down…

And stuck it into the ground beside his head.

He looked at me with fear and shock in his eyes, and I looked at him closely.

"You wanna finish this?" I asked, but he turned away.

"I – I yield…" he yelled.

Though frozen for a moment, cheers erupted once again from the frenzied crowd. I stood up, turned to Louise, who looked at me completely blown away by my victory. I stood up, and she rushed towards me.

"M-Michael, Are you alright?" I don't believe you actually…" she started, but for some reason, I felt really drained and missed the rest.

"Oh man… I'm glad I won too, but I need some…" I started, but I fell down, and slipped into a hard earned peaceful slumber.

I awoke with a start, feeling confused and disoriented. What happened? What time is it?

Then I remembered the fight.

I was overcome with happiness and my heart felt so light it hurt. My mind was working perfectly, despite the dull, throbbing headache yet I couldn't move. It was hard to breathe, but I noticed there was something strapped to my chest. Bandages probably. I tried to open my eyes, but with no avail. I tried to move but it was almost as if I was paralysed. My body simply wouldn't respond. The hunger pangs started and though I so desperately wanted to get out of bed, I couldn't. I felt too weighed down to do anything. After a while, I simply lay there, making no effort to move.

Soon enough though, I was able to move…somewhat. At first I was able to open my eyes, but I had a really hard time adjusting to the light. Soon after, I was pretty much able to move. It was hard, but I could move. I looked around, and I noticed I was in… Louise's bed? Suddenly, the door opened and I saw Siesta walk into the room, a tray of food in her hands. Realizing I was awake, she rushed up to me.

"Oh Michael, your awake! Thank goodness your alright." She said, bursting into tears. I looked at her absentmindedly.

"W-what happened?" I croaked. My throat was seriously parched.

"After your battle with Guiche, we took you into Miss Vallière's room for you to rest, but you were asleep for four days and nights! We were very worried, but with Miss Vallière's help you healed very quickly. Even the broken bones and bruises were healed without too much trouble."

"Is that so…" I mumbled. I then looked at the table, and I noticed Louise sitting there, sleeping soundly. Short locks of her bright pink hair flowed down her face, giving her a peaceful presence. Siesta noticed I was staring.

"Miss Vallière worked very hard to tend your injuries. She didn't sleep one bit while taking care of you." She added. Intrigued at this, I looked at her again.

"So even she has a good side to her…" I thought. Laying myself back down, I thanked Siesta, and went back to sleep…


	3. RE: New sword, and punishment!

Zero no Tsukaima: Change My Destiny

God damn it! I Hate reuploading chapters, always finds a way to mess things up! But anyway, Fixed up the minor errors and took out the use of Japanese words.

I do not own Zero no Tsukaima or any of the References I use. So please don't shut this fanfic down… =3

Most people around here think that being a servant to a noble is actually a good thing. A-Once-in-a-Lifetime privilege, they would call it. To me though… the serving nobles thing really didn't cut out for me.

After my battle with Guiche, Louise gave me a long hard lecture on what and whatnot to do around here. Although she did, she was impressed, and even said she would buy me a sword today. Now, I was glad that she helped me heal, so I put up with it. But in the end, being Louise she decided to give me… punishment.

That's basically how I ended up here, inside a small, cramped room running from a short stuck up kid on rampage with a horsewhip that seriously hurt.

"Hey, don't you think you could reconsider for a second?" I cried out, dodging another swing from her whip. It whip whistled as it passed my head, causing sweat to fly off my face. Argh, what a pain...

"No! With a disobedient familiar like you, there needs to be punishment!" she yelled, managing to hit me in the leg. The whip cracked as it snapped against my leg, and I stumbled a bit, struggling to regain my balance.

"What are you talking about? I was giving him what he deserved! Besides, I won!"

"Barley won is more like it! If you did not get that sword, you would have been done for sure!"

"That's coming from the person who said I would lose if I took it!" I countered, as she took another swing. I ducked under it, grabbed her wrist and yanked the whip away from her. I smiled viciously, and her eyes widened thinking at what I was going to do, now that I had her cornered. I pushed her on the bed.

"Wait, what are you-" she started, but cringed back as I lifted the whip. Did she really think I was going to hit her? Yeah right, I wish. Instead, I walked past her, and threw the whip out the window. I turned facing her again.

"It's dangerous having that thing you know, so I decided to- I started. But suddenly…

"Ow! What the heck is this, a horsewhip?" I heard someone yell outside. I decided to ignore that.

Walking towards the door, I heard her stand and she immediately stood in my way.

"Where do you think your going?" Louise demanded.

If looks could kill...

Man, I loved scaring her like that. Maybe next time I should threaten throwing her out the window, since she is considerably smaller… I immediately tossed the idea out though. Doing that would never help, although it would be funny.

"Well?" she asked again.

"You said today you would buy me a weapon right? Since were going out, I was simply going to open the door for you, Master." I replied, adding a hint of distaste at the end. I hated calling her Master. I mean you don't see other familiars going around calling their Master's Master. Well, not that any of them could speak, but you get the idea.

"W-well, alright. I'll let you go for now." She said, giving up. As she passed by though, I heard her mumbling. Something about a "new whip" and a "smaller room"… I shrugged it off.

We walked out of the room and almost, as if planned out I saw Kirche and that blue haired chick walk by. What was her name again? I think it was something along the lines of… Taby … Tama ... Tabitha! As we passed, Louise merely sped up, and I followed suit.

Although, I could have sworn that I saw a sparkle inside Kirche's eyes…

We reached the outer horse stalls of the school (which honestly looked more like a castle to me) and Louise idly chose… a very tall horse. So tall in fact, that as she tried to get up she couldn't… seeing her struggle made me laugh, but I hid it as she looked my way. I walked up to her.

"Jeez..." I whispered, picking her up.

"H-hey, what are you doing?" she cried, flailing her arms like a madman.

"Relax would you? I'm trying to help you!" I replied, struggling to hold her up. Before my hand slipped, I quickly put my foot on the saddle and jumped up, Louise screaming in the process. I then landed on the saddle with a soft thump, and placed Louise down in front of me. She turned around, flustered… again.

"W-would you NOT do that next time? I didn't ask for your help!"

"Well, its kind of my duty as a familiar to help my master in her time of need…"

"No, its your duty to follow my orders when I tell you them!"

"Oh really? That's great! That means when both of us are in trouble, and I've got my hands full, but you don't order me to help cause you think you can handle yourself, but get kidnapped I don't have to rescue you! Ah, I see now…" She turned scarlet, and wailed in frustration.

"Okay fine, you win! Just make sure you help me if I'm ever in trouble, got it?" she yelled. I merely smiled.

"Haha, no problem. It would only be natural." I replied. She then looked at me funnily.

"How would it be natural?"

"Your really dull aren't you?" she rose her head in protest, but I continued "I mean it would only be natural for me to save you, for two reasons."

"Those reasons being…"

"1: You are my master, so I am duty bound to take care of you." I paused.

"Well, what about the second one?"

"I would hate myself if I couldn't save a friend." I said quietly, looking away. I didn't hear her say anything, but instead she turned and jerked the horse forward, towards town…

After a three-hour gallop of nothing but silence between us, we reached the town she told me about. New stone buildings stood side by side like stalls in a Marketplace. There were many, shops, mostly consisting of clothing merchandise and food. Honestly though, this place looks a lot like Bowerstone in Fable II. This place was HUGE! It wasn't as huge per se, but it was big. As I gazed in awe at the scenery, Louise jumped off the horse, and I followed. We walked into town, turned a few corners here and there, until we reached the shop she was looking for, The Swords shop. It had a very small exterior, with a large sign that had a broadsword on it. We entered, and I realized it had an even smaller interior.

"Hello, is anyone here?" Louise called out. I looked around, and saw nobody around.

"You think they would keep some maintenance around here…" I said to myself, looking at the various weapons they had. They had Swords, Daggers, Axe's, and Spears, even Rapiers. The only thing missing though…

"Man, what ever happened to Scythes? Man..." I mumbled.

As I browsed through, I heard a door open at the back, and a tall old man came out. He was very thin, and wore a short-sleeve leather shirt. He also wore an unusual earmuff hat, like something you would wear during winter.

"Ah, a customer. How may I help you?" he asked. His voice was old and frail, almost like he had throat problems.

"I want a sword for my familiar to wield."

"Certainly! What kind of blade did you have in mind?" he asked.

"I'm a noble, so I would like something befitting of that. Although, I don't know much about swords, so pick something that fits." She finished. Was she that clueless? I turned away, and I saw the old man grin.

"Oh well, if you're a noble… How about this Rapier-" he started.

"No thanks, I don't know how to use one. Besides, Rapiers are too limiting in terms of attacking." I replied instantly. His eye twitched.

"W-well, what kind of sword you want?" he asked.

"A straight single edged blade. Something that is long enough to strike within a four-foot distance. Make sure also, the blade isn't too large or too small, something in the middle. Also make sure too that it isn't too heavy, but enough so that it is possible to wield with both hands with ease. Also, I want a black blade, too. Maybe with some streaks of red, that'd make it look bad ass. I don't want too many jewels and crap on it; I don't need people trying to steal my weapon. I also don't want it to look like a piece of junk because then nobody would take me seriously and would mock me and I can't stand jerks who do that."" I finished. I looked at them again, and they looked like I was a man from hell and back. Was my description that confusing?

"Hey, did you hear me? Or do I have to explain again?" I threatened, looking at the shopkeeper dangerously. He backed away at the sight.

"R-right away!" he cried, stumbling in the process. As he stumbled toward the back room, Louise scolded me.

"Just how much do you want me to spend?" she yelled, but I looked at her and said "Do you want me to protect you or not? If I'm going to I need the best equipment possible." I stated, and she fumed in response. Proceeding with examining what they had in the shop, I browsed once again, but jerked to a stop.

"N-no way! You can't be serious!" I yelled, as I ran up to the weapon. Louise looked at my funnily, and she walked behind me as I picked it up.

"Isn't that just a gauntlet?" she asked me, but I turned towards her, offended.

"Just a gauntlet? "Do you know how valuable these things are? I'd give anything to have one of these! With this, I could probably kill 50 people without so much as trying!" I'll have you know this weapon here is the Hidden Blade, an ancient weapon used by the Assassins (Creed hint hint.) of the early age! Even up to now, no one has ever figured out how the internal blade system works! To think that I would be able to see, let alone hold this…" I said, amazed. The Stainless Silver Gauntlet gleamed with glory as it sat in my hands. Ancient carvings were engraved into the arm guard, and a small wire with a ring hung by the side.

"Oh, what's this?" Louise said, picking up the ring.

"NO, DON'T TOUCH-" I started, but too late. The blade hidden beneath the gauntlet sprung out, nearly sticking itself through Louise's neck.

"W-what?" she yelled in surprise, jumping back. As she did, I went on another rant.

"Why the hell did you touch it? You nearly got a blade stuck through your neck! What kind of idiot would touch something that they don't know how to use? Tell me, did you also stick your hand in the first fire that you saw? Or perhaps walk off the first cliff you saw just to see what would happen?" I yelled.

Louise, embarrassed stood in protest was about to defend herself, but the old man came back, with a broadsword that somewhat fit my description.

"I have the blade you were looking for." He said. I placed carefully the hidden blade back, and walked up to the counter. I then examined the sword.

A single edge broadsword was what he brought back. It was an inch thick, and stretched to about 4 ½ feet. The handle, was about half as big as my palm, giving it a perfect fit. The hand guard was a simple guard used for Kanata's. Lastly, the sword had an unusually shaped guard around the base of the blade, almost like it was its mouth… Also, the blade's color was super rusted… Then again color doesn't matter, as long as it fits my style.

"This may not meet your expectations, but do not fear. If you maintain it well, and keep it in shape it should last."

I picked it up, weighing it in each hand.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. I'll take-." I started, but I was cut off by a voice from elsewhere.

"Hey you! Watch what your doing to my handle!" I heard come from the broadsword.

"What the hell?" I yelled, almost dropping it. Louise was equally surprised, as we gazed at it. The guard that I saw earlier was moving!

"I-incredible, an intelligent sword!" Louise cried. I looked at her, surprised.

"At least she knows some things…" I thought. Louise turned to the shopkeeper, and I decided to talk to my sword.

"Yo, I'm Michael. Nice to meet you!" I said. He was silent though.

"Impressive, you're… a wielder aren't you?" he asked. I looked at him strangely.

"What do you-" I started, but I stopped. I remembered the feeling I had when I fought Guiche. Could that be what he's talking about?

"Oh, it seems you've experienced it before." He said. I was about to ask him what it was, but Louise interrupted me.

"Michael, were going." She said, brushing past me…

"Uhh, Louise?"

"Yes?"

Could you do me one… tiny, small, DELICATE favour?" I asked, adding a desperate look into my eyes. She twitched at this.

"W-well, what is it?" she asked She immediately jumped back in surprise, as I fell to my knees.

"PLEASE OH PLEASE BUY ME THE HIDDEN BLADE!" I yelled, latching myself onto her leg.

"H-hey, just what do you think you're doing?" she yelled. She tried to shake me off, but I was much stronger than her. I tightened my grip.

"I won't let go unless you buy me the hidden blade!"

"You mean that weapon that almost killed me?"

"Hey, that was your fault and I tried to warn you! Anyway, just buy it and I'll let go!"

"No, I already bought your sword for you!" she said, fuming once more. Her face was scarlet, as she struggled with no avail.

"It only cost 100 gold!" I yelled.

"I-I didn't bring that much money!" she said, looking away.

"What are you talking about? You brought 7000 gold!" I countered. The shopkeeper fell down in shock at this response.

"It doesn't matter! I'm not buying you that weapon and that's FINAL!"

"Oh, why me…" muttered Louise, as we walked out of the shop. I took out the hidden blade, and strapped it on my left arm. I then carefully took the ring, and placed it on my middle finger. I didn't need people to think I was married.

"Thank you for coming!" the shopkeeper called out.

"Thanks for selling this!" I called back. I looked at Louise again, and she was silently sizzling with anger. The 7000 gold she brought was already almost gone… so it would make sense.

"Relax Louise, it only cost you 6500 Gold. You still have 400 left." I said, but she immediately started another fit.

"ONLY COST ME 6500 GOLD? I COULD HAVE BOUGHT A WHOLE CASTLE WITH A BACKYARD FULL OF ANIMALS ALONG WITH IT! IS THAT THING REALLY WORTH THAT MUCH? HOW DARE YOU ACT SO SELFISH!" she yelled. Everyone stared as they passed, wondering what was going on.

"Hey, relax-."

"NO, I WILL NOT RELAX! AS PUNISHMENT FOR THIS, NO MEALS FOR THE NEXT 4 DAYS!" she spat in my face.

"What? Four days? Do you want me to-."

"NO EXCEPTIONS, NO COMPLAINTS, OR DO YOU WANT ME TO EXTEND IT?" she threatened, her face making a few children behind cry. Parents slowly stepped away from us, and a few others whooped as I got scolded.

That threat also shut me up.

"Good, in that case lets go home…" she said, turning around. As she did, I threw my arms around silently in frustration. Who the hell did she think she was? I swear, if she weren't someone I had to protect I would have SO killed her on the spot… well, maybe not kill her but… scare her. I tossed it out though; doing so may probably extend my sentence.


	4. A useless, Filler chappie

Change my Destiny Chapter Four: A useless filler introduction

Okay first of all I am REALLY SORRY about the long **no update**. I haven't been able to get around to making a chapter, and to be honest I had a bit of a writers block so I couldn't work even though I tried. Also, I'm stuck writing the Literacy test, I have a guitar test, a history assignment due, and a bunch of other stuff. But I've managed to skip homework (for now) and work on this for you guys. So enjoy.

ChaosxPaladin

_One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind_

---

The sun slowly descended over and under the surrounding walls of the Academy. All was quiet, the world frozen in the silence of the twilight. All was well, and a peaceful silence filled the world…

That is, until my stomach roared in hunger.

"Ugh… Louise…" I whined as my stomach once again growled desperately, giving me cramps.

"No." she replied instantly.

"B-but I haven't even said anything yet!"

"It's been twice so far, lunch and dinner. You still have 9 meals to go without." She replied coldly.

"You've been counting? Gah, Mendokuse…" I whispered as my stomach cramped once again. I attempted to stand from my haystack, but with no avail. My stomach hurt too much.

"My pajamas." She called out. Unwilling and in pain, I forced myself from my haystack and placed her in her pajamas, fearing an extension. I blew out the candle, and a silver light enveloped the room as the moonlight passed through the window.

"Well, if you have nothing else to say I'm going to sleep." Louise said sternly, placing herself in bed. I had no choice but to comply, seeing as I was in a corner.

"Hmph, women…" I thought to myself. Becoming increasingly pained, I decided that I should get the hell out of here. I grabbed Delfringer, and quietly snuck out of the room before…

"Where are you going?" Louise's voice came from behind me. I froze, and immediately turned around.

"W-well I felt that since I'm not going to be eating for the next few days, I decided I'm going to sleep outside, since I don't want to disturb your sleep with my stomach…" I said, thinking quickly. "_I gotta get out of here…"_ She looked at my suspiciously.

"Well, if your going outside, why are you taking your sword with you?" she demanded.

"Why not?" I shot back. Her face clearly showed it. She didn't expect such a blunt answer.

"Well, in any case go outside then. But you better be here to prepare my clothes in the morning." She yelled, going back to sleep.

"Yes, your highness…" I said sarcastically. I bolted out of the room before she could say anything, and shut the door tightly. I sighed once again, as my stomach hollered in hunger.

"Dammit, I need to find something to eat, but where the hell do I go?" I thought as I walked quietly down the hallway. But as I turned, I bumped into another person.

"Oh, I'm sorry are you-" I started, but I paused. It was Siesta.

"Ah, Michael its been a while!" Siesta said gleefully.

"Yes, it has been, what have you been-" I said, but my stomach cut me off yet again. I blushed in embarrassment, and I immediately turned away.

"Its Louise's punishment. I can't eat anything for the next 3 days… and I'll say it right now, I'm dying." I whined. Siesta laughed, and I turn towards her.

"Hey, is it that funny seeing me suffer? I'm dying here!" I cried, as once again my stomach roared in agreement.

"No, its not that. But if you're really that hungry, I can take you to the head chef! I'm sure he'll make something for you. My head sprung up in disbelief.

"What, seriously?!" my voice raised in excitement as I thought of the food the head chef would give.

"Yes, I'm sure it will be okay!" she said, as she took my hand, and we headed to the kitchen.

---

I had never really given much thought to what was the best part of life. Sure, I could list off a bunch of great things about life – video games, sleeping in, Manga, anime, readingand so on – but I could never really name something as number one. That was, until now as I shoved down, gobbled, and swallowed plate after plate of food placed before me by the head chef.

Ah...if this is what heaven is like, I'm definitely getting myself there after this life...

"Forgive me if the food is just leftovers, but eat all you want our sword!" said the giant, muscular man. His deep voice boomed in the room as he laughed, and I gave him my plate, indicating I wanted more. He gladly took it and refilled it.

"Our Sword?" I asked, as I gobbled another piece of bread.

"Yes, Our Sword! Even though you are a mere commoner like us, you beat that arrogant noble brat! You are our pride, Our Sword!" he said proudly.

"Well, I'll be honest and say I've trained with a sword before, but this seemed different. I felt light as a feather, and usually I'm as slow as a turtle. My sword swings are usually rough and uncontrolled, but it seemed smooth and graceful. I don't really know what happened." I stated, recalling the event. But as I remembered, the Head Chef cut me off.

"Did you hear that? A true champion does not boast about his victory like those nobles! This is how he differs from them, this is why he is Our Sword indeed…" Everyone else nodded in agreement, and I couldn't help but smile. I was actually popular! Well, sure it was amongst people a lot older than me, but they were kind a generous people. I couldn't help but feel a sense of welcoming. I stared at my empty plate again, and kindly asked for more. As I did, it grew a bit quiet, so I decided to ask a few questions.

"Do nobles always eat stuff this awesome? I mean, just wow! I've never tasted something so delicious! Its texture, its like nothing I've ever tasted before! The smell of the food is so sweet and delightful, just smelling it makes me hungry again! You really make some incredible food. Its like a magic of its own!" I complimented. A hint of pride and accomplishment shone in everyone's eyes, and the Head chef gave me a strong pat on the back.

"Ah, oh how you are such a good man, Michael! A truly good man! I like the way you think Our Sword!" he laughed.

---

After what seemed such a short time of getting to know everyone, socializing, and of course eating it was time to go. As they say, time flies by when you're having fun.

"Man, those people are really nice. Where I come from, its hard to come across people like them…" I said to Siesta, as we walked back to Louise's room.

"Yes, please come again too Michael. Everyone enjoyed your company!" I laughed.

"With this, I finally gained a bit more confidence in living here. First off I was a bit reluctant, especially after my fight with Guiche. But now I feel like I can take on anything!" I declared, swinging my hands through the air. Siesta laughed, and I soon followed.

"Oh, by the way Michael, I forgot to mention something." She said. She looked a little hesitant.

"Oh, what is it?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Was she going to ask me out?

"I would like to talk to you again sometime." She said, smiling. I blushed at this, but I immediately shook it off.

"Ah, well if that's the case come to me anytime. I'm free most of my days, since I can't go to the classes.

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind." She said, hiding a smile for some reason. I looked up at the sky once again. It was getting late.

"Well, in any case, I have to go now. See you around." I said, turning to leave.

"Good night." She called out. Trying to look cool, I merely waved back in silence, and headed back to Louise's Dorm…

---

k that's about all I can do for now. SORRY for the no update, like I said 've been drowned in work. I'll be finished most of my stuff by the end of the week, so I'll have a new chapter by the end of next week. So yeah, thanks for reading and Review.


	5. Fair of Evaluation!

Zero no Tsukaima: Change my Destiny

Nothing big changed, just fixed up two or three spelling errors and took out some useless text.

~ChaosxPaladin

They say the average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think. I on the other hand, was not an average guy. For some odd reason, I can reason with, understand, and talk to girls pretty easily. Maybe it's because my first friend was a girl. Or maybe, like my friends used to say I was more in touch with my feminine side. But before I continue, I'll say one thing.

I'm straight.

Anyway, sure I like girls, but some girls especially the stuck up ones who get everything they want take things way too far. They're usually straightforward, and complain way too much.

One example would be…

"Oh, Darling please don't go!" Cried Kirche as I desperately tried to escape from her desperate grasp. I was really starting to get annoyed, but I kept my temper in check.

"Look, I'm sorry for the early leave and I would love to stay. But I have to _go._" I said as kindly as I could. She didn't give up though.

How did I even end up here?

Oh yeah that's right, that stupid oversized Lizard dragged me here.

_Flashback_

"_Man, if only Louise was as kindhearted as Siesta…" I thought to myself as I walked the narrow hallway. I turned the next corner, and jumped as I saw a red blur. I had no time to think though, because I tumbled to the ground, with something really heavy on my back._

"_Hey what the hell?!" I cried out. I turned my head to face my attacker, only to see Kirche's oversized Salamander. I scowled._

"_Hey, you stupid lizard I don't have time to play with you!" I yelled, angry for ruining my happy moment. It's eyes flashed angrily, and it grabbed the collar of my shirt and started dragging me to another room._

"_Dammit let me go, you're wrecking my shirt!" I yelled as I struggled against the familiar's strong teeth. But it was no use, for the more I struggled, the more my shirt got torn. I decided to just forget it, and see where this thing was taking me._

_I didn't have to wait long though._

_I felt the strong grip of the salamander drop me, and I looked up._

"_Umm. Kirche… hi." I stuttered as I looked upon her, the moonlight bathing her dark brown skin. She wore a one-piece pajama similar to Louise, only this one showed… much more of her assets. I had a very hard time finding where to look._

"_Ah, welcome to my humble abode, Me-hael… or was it Michael?" She said, a seductive look in her eyes. _

_I don't like where this is going…_

"_It's Michael. Thanks for remembering my name." I said sarcastically, but she took no heed to it, which I found unusual. All the girls took my sarcasm._

"_I understand, Michael." She said seductively once again, raising her arms to do an obviously fake stretch. I looked away before my eyes were averted elsewhere. She then suddenly sat in front of me._

"_I think it's wrong, but my secondary name is 'The Ardent'. Just like a torch, I burn very easily…" she mumbled, eyes shining with lust. I do not like where this is going…_

"_I see…" was all I could say, quite pathetic if you ask me. Being unable to say anything else, made me quite depressed. She frowned._

"_Do you not understand? I'm in love. Yes, I'm in love… with you, oh how love strikes so suddenly…" _

_Not too surprised there. It was as obvious as that first year girl who was crazy for Guiche. _

"_The way you defeated Guiche, it was so cool! After seeing that, Kirche the Ardent became Kirche the Passion!" _

_Speak of the devil. I thought this to myself, as her face drew itself closer to mine, when suddenly…_

"_Kirche, just what in the name of the queen are you doing?!" Roared a male voice. _

"_My savior..." I thought._

"_Oh, Styx!" Kirche said surprised, almost as if she didn't't expect this to come. Styx looked angrily at me._

"_I came because you didn't't show up at the arranged time, only to find this?!"_

"_The change it to two hours later." She said bluntly. Mataku (Jeez), how simple minded was she?_

"_That was not part of the plan!" He yelled angrily. His face seemed like he was about to explode when…_

_Kirche lifted her wand (which came out of nowhere) and the candle on the table, suddenly burst into flames, which launched itself at Styx. It hit him straight in the forehead. "That was just a friend. Don't mind him. Anyway, time is short, and I…" She started hastily, but was cut off yet again, this time, by a Blonde._

"_Kirche! Who is that guy?! Weren't you supposed to-" he started, but Kirche repeated the last process, and shot him with a fireball. I took this chance to escape, but I felt her latch herself to my arm._

And that's how I ended up here.

"Please, can you let me go now? I'm busy and have things to do you know!" I yelled, trying not to lose my patience with her. Suddenly, the door burst open and I felt all hell run loose.

"Oh, Louise…" I mumbled.

"Just whose familiar do you think you're putting your hands on? She said angrily, walking towards us. Kirche crossed her arms.

"Well, it can't be helped. Love and fire are the destiny of the Zerbst. It is out instinct to embrace this love." She pointed out.

Excuse me? I was forced here against my will! I cried in my head, giving Louise a pleading look to _get me out of here!_

"Come, were leaving." Louise ordered, and I humbly complied.

"Aww, are you going already? Please stay a bit longer!" she pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.

Sorry, but that doesn't work on me.

"Well, it is pretty late. And besides, after all this I really want to sleep. So if it's okay, we'll talk more tomorrow. Is that okay?" I said to her, smiling. She smiled back.

"Yeah, that's okay."

And with that, I finally left the cold dark room, ready to get some well deserved sleep…

***BREAK***

Only I barley slept a wink.

"Ugh, Louise what are these exercises for?" I cried out in boredom as Louise made me do these random exercises.

"No complaints just keep walking in place! Straighten your back more!" she yelled, pointing her whip in anger at me. I sighed deeply, and stopped.

"Hey, who told you to stop?" She demanded, getting ready to swing her whip again.

"No, its just I find these tasks unnecessary! What's the point of making me do this anyway, some special occasion? I want answers!" I yelled back, she looked at me angrily once again, but I glared back with all my might. She sighed, and sat on the bed.

"Your behavior, speech and everything else are terrible." She sighed again, rubbing her temples.

"What's your problem? Asking me to do this out of the blue…" I said. She looked at me again.

"How careless of me. I completely forgot to mention the Evaluation Fair…"

"Evaluation Fair? Like some sort of Written Exam or something?"

Not quite. It's a routine exam all second years must take. It's to show off the familiars that students have summoned to the entire academy." She explained, getting up again. She walked across the room and sat down at the table.

"Huh, sounds interesting. Is it really that important to you?"

"I want to avoid getting embarrassed. Since you can speak, I thought maybe you could perform a tasteful speech on stage but…" she started, but she looked down at the table, almost as if she was trying to hide her depressing gaze from me. I sighed again, sitting down beside her. I leaned the chair back on two legs, placed my hands behind my head, and propped my feet up on the table.

"Well, if you wanted I could sing for you. Or maybe even show off a few moves with Del." I said, looking up at the ceiling. I felt bad for her, always being embarrassed by people 24/7. Must have been hard for her, living like that…

"Y-you can sing? The sword I can understand, but _singing?_" she asked me in disbelief. She obviously thought I was lying. I looked at her again.

"Of course. I learned how to sing where I come from. I also know how to play a guitar, a flute and a bit of the piano. Although I'm better at guitar than the other two." I explained. She still didn't' seem to believe me.

"Well, if you want I could just decide to _not perform_ and _embarrass you in front of everyone…" _I said slyly. She looked at me with shock.

"Y-you wouldn't!" She yelled. I eyed her dangerously.

"Watch me." I said, glaring hard. The tension was high between us as we struggled to glare each other down, but in the end…

"Agh, okay fine you win. But can you really sing?" she asked me once again, still unconvinced. I sat beside her again, and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Say that after you buy me a guitar." I said, smiling. She didn't respond. But soon, her head swung back to face me, and I could have sworn I just saw hell.

"You want me to buy you something else YOU STUPID GREEDY DOG?!"

***BREAK***

A mild chase later…

"So it's decided then. You're going to perform swordplay." Said Louise triumphantly. Seriously, I really wanted to get a guitar… but doing so would probably not be a good idea. On queue, the school bell then rang.

"In any case, I'll have something by the end of today. Although swordplay isn't my best skill, I have some experience." I said. She looked at me again, and stood up.

"You better have something good by the end of today, got it?" With that, she left.

***BREAK***

Later outside

I put on my leather gloves, and withdrew Delfringer from his sheath.

"Okay, lets get started." I mumbled to myself.

Delfringer was pretty heavy, so I had to hold him Kendo style, to get used to his weight. I started off with a basic vertical swing, and pivoting to the side, I swing him again, slashing an invisible enemy's ribs. I jumped into the air, and using Del's weight I performed a mid-air somersault, and slammed Del into the ground with a hard swing. I rolled forward, stabbed the air and finished off with a quick spin attack.

"Huh, you're not too bad with a sword Mike. But you still have a lot to learn." Del criticized. I took it honestly.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to do a bit of sword practice, but I never used a broadsword like you, I used lighter weapons."

"Speaking of lighter weapons, what about that gauntlet on your left hand? What's what for?"

Oh that's right. I forgot I had the hidden blade.

"It's a weapon used by the ancient assassins of the earlier years of history. It's called the hidden blade." I said proudly, bringing out the blade.

"Looks like it won't do much against a shield."

"Of course! I plan on only using this for counter-attacking only." Suddenly, a shadow was cast upon me, and I heard a familiar voice.

"Michael!" Greeted Siesta as I turned around to face her.

"Ah, Siesta! Good to see you!" I said cheerfully. She smiled in response. She looked at my sword.

"Ah, could it be you're practicing for the Evaluation Fair? Everyone around the academy has been working hard."

"Is that so?" I said.

"Yes, especially since Princess Henrietta will be attending!" She clapped her hands with joy.

"Princess Henrietta?"

"Yes, she is the princess of Halkeginia. She's a very beautiful person, and very respected among the people. She said, and unconsciously we started walking around the school.

"Ah, I would love to meet her. Where I come from, there is little to no royalty."

"Oh really, why?" Siesta asked, intrigued.

"That's because we believe everyone, no matter where they are from or the color of their skin, or preferences or anything are all equal. Although, some still need some catching up to do, but it goes by very well." I said, as we passed by the inner courtyard, where I saw Kirche, Guiche, Tabitha, Montmorency and other familiar faces practicing for the Evaluation.

"Really? That seems very interesting. Here, Princess Henrietta has been the symbol to her citizens ever since His Majesty passed away."

"I see."

"Yes, we are also in a big hurry preparing for her arrival. So, I'll be going then!"

"Alright, I'll see you at the ceremony!" I waved goodbye, but then she came back to me, and held my hands.

"Michael, please make sure you do your best too!" This took me aback, but I held my composure.

"No problem." I said when I just remembered something critical.

"Oh Siesta!" I called out before she left.

"What is it?"

"Can you do me a favour? Would you happen to have a long piece of cloth or something?" I asked. This confused her.

"What do you need it for?"

"It's for my performance."

"Oh, sure no problem!"

After that, Siesta came back and gave me what I asked for. The Cloth, being about 10 meters was sturdy and strong, and was about as wide as a tape-bandage. I thanked Siesta as she left, and proceeded with my idea. I withdrew Delfringer.

"Say partner, why did you ask for that piece of cloth?"

"Its for you actually. The one thing I realized is, a swordsman's weakness is range. So, I'm going to tie this cloth to your hilt, and use it to swing you around!"

"Ah, that's an interesting idea. I never would have thought of that."

After some hard-core practice swings with Delfringer, Louise dragged me to the front entrance of the school. Many, if not all students were gathered there, including teachers, soldiers and even the secretary. What's going on?

My question was soon answered.

"The Kingdom of Tristein, our Queen the Royal Highness Princess Henrietta, has arrived!" the announcement echoed throughout the whole school, as the elegant horses, with hair as fine as silk, strode into the school, pulling the pink and purple satin carriage along.

The door was opened gently, and the huge crowd of students that gathered leaned closer to look. A servant stepped out first, before she stepped out, and everyone around me gasped in amazement. I must say I was also pretty damn dumbstruck.

The Princess, wore a pure milky white dress that swept over the floor as she walked, a silky purple cape draped over he shoulders, and her white collar embedded with emerald crystals as green as her eyes, a soft smile on her fair face, as her smooth violet hair flowed in the breeze as she walked towards the principal and the staff, who were all on their knees as a sign of respect.

"Wow, she's really beautiful. If only there were more girls like her where I come from." I mumbled. Really, Canada, or mainly Mississauga has some uninteresting ladies. This on the other hand, was a whole new level.

"Be quiet! As a familiar, that's very disrespectful!" she scolded.

"Yeah, yeah…" I mumbled, but I noticed something unusual. Miss-Anger-Issues, had a never before seen look on her face—a light smile, her pink eyes sparkling with admiration.

***BREAK***

After the usual chase and shouts, both Louise and I settled into her room. Just as we were about to discuss about the evaluation fair, sharp knocks came from the door.

So, after being ordered by Louise, I got up and opened the door, wondering who it was at this late hour. Just as I opened the door, a hooded figure burst in, before closing the door behind her. Louise took out her wand reflexively surprised. But I was more shocked than surprised.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Louise demanded, but I immediately stopped her.

"Wait Louise, it's the Princess!" I shouted. Her face was filled with disbelief.

"Do not worry, Louise, he is right." The figure spoke, a sweet, soft voice.

"That voice!" Exclaimed Louise. But she was cut off, as the figure embraced her deeply; her hood fell off, revealing her violet shoulder-length hair, and her shimmering emerald eyes.

"Your Highness! You mustn't't come to this humble abode!" said Louise, as she broke the embrace before sinking to one knee. "Kneel down too, show your respect!" she whispered viciously.

"I don't think that's necessary." I said, earning a stern glare from Louise, who looked like she was just about to reprimand me. I jumped back in response.

"No, it's alright, please stop with the formality, Louise," interjected the princess. "I came here as an old friend, not as the princess of Tristein."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness," said Louise, as she rose from her kneeling position. I shot her a questioning glance.

"I had the pleasure of being the princess's playmate when we were young." she explained.

"Well, I came to see how you were doing, Louise, and your familiar too; I was curious what kind of familiar you would summon. It seems like you summoned a good one," commented Henrietta.

"No way!" Exclaimed Louise. "This rude and strange creature is a failure of my lifetime!" I couldn't't help but sigh, as I heard her description of myself. What was I to her, an invisible ghost she can talk about all she wants? But I decided not to put up with it today. Instead, I casually sat to the side, and let the girls talk about old times they shared.

Finally, the princess rose.

"I have to go now Louise, but this was the most fun I had in years," she smiled brightly, not like the polite demure smile she had when she got off the carriage, this was a genuine one. "Good luck then Louise, mister familiar."

"Michael," he said suddenly, causing both Louise and Henrietta to turn their heads to him. "My name's Michael your highness. Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I said, bowing. This, especially Louise, took her aback. I wasn't though, since I've never shown my… noble side.

"No, its okay, good luck, then Michael," she repeated, before striding out of the door, closing it gently behind her.

With the princess gone, Louise reverted back to her usual fierce attitude, turning her glare towards me once again.

"So, what nonsense did you come up with for the evaluation?" Asked Louise haughtily.

"Come on, I'll show you outside." I gestured her towards the door.

"Outside? Can't you just do it in here?"

"I need the room, and besides you're gonna help me."

"What?"

And that is it for this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing this, so take you're time and review it. I'll have the next chapter up for next week. Thanks for reading, and REVIEW!


	6. The REAL Fair! Stolen Treasure!

Change my Destiny Chapter 6: The REAL Fair of Evaluations!

Hey guys, it's that time of updating again. Enjoy the fanfic, and Review please!

~ ChaosxPaladin

PS. My Fanfic has now officially gone OVER 1000 HITS! For this I made two chapters.

Thanks to all the readers everywhere, and on with the story!

~CXP

---

The roar of the crowd surrounded the courtyard as we stood in line, waiting. Everyone was here, from the first year student body to the secretary, and in all her glory, Princess Henrietta of Tristein occupied the far back of the man-made stadium.

The day of the Evaluation Fair had arrived.

"So Louise, you think you're ready to give this a go? To be honest, I'm quite excited," I asked the nervous looking Louise. After last night's practice session (Which I must say, shocked her quite a bit. She never expected me to be that skilled) I was pumped. With any luck, today would be a chance to give it my all and have a load of fun in the process.

"How can you be so calm at such an event? Don't you ever think of the consequences, or if anything goes wrong?" She scowled in a voice higher than usual. Yup, she was nervous all right. I placed my hands on her shoulders, trying to be firm but not overly much.

"I think about those things when they happen. Besides, why should I be worried? If worrying makes things worse, then I might as well not think about it and do things how I usually do them. Just have fun," I advised her. My words seemed to do the trick; her shoulders stopped trembling and her body seemed to loosen up. She nodded in agreement, somewhat relieved.

"By the way, is everything in the bag?" I asked. She merely nodded and her eyes straying back to Henrietta's direction.

I turned towards the line, observing the front scene. As we drew closer to the stage, Louise and I could start making out some of the performances. As expected, the performances were well rehearsed and well executed – still, nothing on us. I grinned in appreciation as I saw our friends' performances. Kirche coaxed her Salamander (Flame was its name… weird huh?) into breathing out an astonishing display of exotic flames that danced and fairly flitted throughout the stage. Montmorency played a fanciful tune, which reminded me of the Legend of Zelda Hyrule Field theme, with her violin and dancing frog. Tabitha and her soaring wind dragon, Sylphid flew across the sky; the flying maneuvers they pulled off were the kinds that I had always imagined in Eragon. Guiche and his mole familiar lay on a bed of sparkling roses – how typical of them. I couldn't help but laugh at that. And my friends at home thought _I _was weird for screaming "OBJECTION!" at a school event.

I was enjoying myself so thoroughly that it almost came as a surprise when the next names were spoken.

"Next, we have Miss Louise la Blanc De La Vallière, and Her swordsman familiar, Michael!" the announcer spoke. As he did, everyone went quiet. I paid no attention to it though, as Louise and I made our way on stage. I was pumped, ready to shine. I drew Delfringer from my sheath (which was strapped around my hips, kind of how the Prince of Persia did in The Two Thrones. This was for a speedy draw.) I could hear audience murmuring in interest, speculating on what our performance would be. Oh, we would show them alright.

"Michael!" Louise hissed at me, tugging on the back of my shirt before I could step onto the stage. Oh great, probably some last minute hysteria.

"Yeah, Louise?"

There were hectic spots of pink on her cheeks and she was trembling again. Yep, she was definitely hysterical.

"Just remember," Louise whispered, her pink eyes fixed on mine. "As your master, I…I order you _not_ to mess up, _not_ to shame me and…"

"And?"

She breathed deeply, and with that breath, it was like all of her weaknesses were washed away. Her eyes flashed, her chin went up and she drew herself to her full height (which actually is still pretty damn short).

"To show everyone that you are the _best_ _familiar here_!"

I stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. Was she actually proud of me? Or was this just her being determined not to be "Louise the Zero"?

Maybe she misinterpreted my staring for something else because her eyes narrowed and she smacked me then. "Michael, are you listening to me? If you dare fail in any way, I _will _whip you tonight and nothing you do or say can-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" I said, laughing. "Just you wait - we'll give them a performance of a lifetime!"

"You better, or you're the most pathetic excuse for a servant a Noble ever had!" she snapped, but her eyes were softer, not so anxious. She was ready.

We were ready.

We finally walked on stage. There was a sudden hush, as the audience abruptly shut up, no doubt eager to see exactly what "Louise the Zero" and her human familiar would do.

As we reached the centre, I was suddenly hyperaware of all the eyes boring into us. It did not make me nervous; rather, it excited me.

"Remember, as soon as I finish, throw them into the air okay?" I said to Louise. She nodded, and stepped back a bit.

I started off with a bow, and proceeded to my Kendo stance. Since I got used to Del's weight from training the night before, I decided to start off with what I did earlier yesterday.

_It_'_s Showtime_, I grinned to myself.

I started off with a basic vertical swing, and pivoting to the side, I swung him again, slashing an invisible enemy's ribs. I jumped into the air, and using Del's weight I performed a mid-air somersault, and slammed Del into the ground with a hard swing, cracking the wooden floor. I rolled forward, stabbed the air and finished off with a quick spin attack. Everyone gasped at my flexibility with a sword, and I couldn't help but laugh.

After that, I slashed the air again, falling to a crouching position. Then, copying the apprentice's move from Soul Calibur IV, I did a double front kick in the air, and followed but loosening Del's scarf, and throwing him in rapid succession. I landed, and yanked him back to me. I was by no means tired; I was exhilarated. I looked at Louise.

Now was time for the big show.

She nodded, and pulled out the items from the bag, revealing 10-cylinder origami with red targets in the middle. Louise threw them into the air as they were tossed by the wind. I could practically hear the audience wondering what fancy gimmick I would do next.

To be honest, what did come next was by no means less fancy than any of my other tricks. Once again copying another move, I unveiled the reason for Delfringer's scarf to the world. Pulling about 1/3 of it, I started spinning him in a somewhat inhumane speed. Everyone, even Louise who saw this last night could not help but exclaim in amazement.

What I did next was even more shocking…for them anyway.

I loosened Del's scarf and I threw him directly at the origami as they were tossed by the wind. Bull's-eye. The audience roared, stunned at my accuracy and precision with this foreign style. Looks like playing Time Crisis 4 so much really boosted my marksmanship.

I laughed again. Man, was I having the time of my life or what?

Adrenaline pumping through my veins, and I tightened Del's scarf before he went too far; he jerked to a stop at about 3 meters. I didn't stop my performance though, as I now was in range of the other targets. Taking full advantage of this, I used both my hands to swing Delfringer (It was kind of difficult, since he was farther than I intended) and smashed three more targets.

Two targets left.

I pulled Del back again, and decided to end this show with my reserve. Since there was a chance I was going to miss, I had wanted to save this trick just in case I did. Oh well, might as well use it.

I got ready to throw Delfringer again, but this time instead of throwing him in a straight line, I threw him like a boomerang, Kind of like Krillin's Destructo Disk in Dragon Ball Z. It was quite hard doing that, but by using the power of the wind gusts I accelerated Del's speed and destroyed the remaining two in a split second.

With a content smile, I pulled Del back and wrapped up the scarf to its former glory. I also took this chance to look at my surroundings.

It was dead quiet.

The crowd, still absorbing what just happened, was too stunned to say anything. Out of the silence, one person cheered. Then another, and soon the whole stadium was applauding. Hell, even Louise gave a few claps, her eyes wide with a big fat smile on her face – the kind I rarely ever saw and was even more rarely given.

"Told ya," I shouted over the noise of the audience to her. Amazingly, she laughed instead of reprimanding me.

I bowed again, and grinning from ear to ear, left the stage.

"Well done, partner!" Del piped up, his hinge rattling away.

"Thanks, you too. Couldn't have done it without you," I said as I made to put him back in his sheath. I frowned slightly as something occurred to me. "Oi, are you indestructible or something? I've been hacking at rocks and stuff and there's not a scratch on you!"

"I'm a _magic_ sword," Del said solemnly.

I stared. "You're being serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am, really. I was reinforced with magic when I was created."

"Well then, _that's _convenient."

I walked up to Louise, who was still smiling and patted her on the back.

"See? I told you it was no big deal," I laughed. Man, if I could ever show my moves to my friends back home, would they ever be impressed. They'll probably go as far as saying "WHO ARE YOU?!" in an exaggerated fashion. Scratch "probably" – almost definitely. Still though, I can't help but wonder.

"Well…I guess it was okay," Louise conceded in an offhand manner; her smile was gone now and she was back to the same old high-and-mighty-Noble Louise that she always was. It looked like her temporary lax in composure was gone. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Only to be expected from my familiar, of course."

I could practically feel the smugness coming off of her. Ah, yes. Louise the Noble was back.

As we walked backstage, Kirche, Guiche, Montmorency and Tabitha came walking up to me with flabbergasted looks – okay, well, Kirche, Guiche and Montmorency looked flabbergasted. Tabitha looked mildly surprised – which, hey, is still saying something. They probably were still amazed by my performance.

"Wow, darling, that was fantastic!" Kirche said as she clamped herself to my arm like an octopus. I really didn't mind but Louise sure did. I could see her eyes narrowing again in a death glare directed at Kirche. I hastily pushed her off. She pouted slightly at that but didn't say anything.

"Yes, I have to agree. I've never seen anything like it – amazing accuracy, by the way," Montmorency complimented me.

"I hate to admit it, but they are right. You have improved much from our last match," conceded Guiche. Then he sighed melancholically. "I never thought I'd see the day when I would be praising a commoner…"

"Commoner or not, Michael still puts you to shame," Montmorency said dryly.

"Montmorency! How could you say such a thing?" Guiche whined.

Tabitha said nothing but stared at me as if I were some animal she had read about but never really thought existed. It sort of felt more degrading than nice…

Louise made an impatient noise over the sound of the bickering between Montmorency and Guiche, and Kirche's crooning. They stopped their talking to look at her (Except Tabitha. The staring was getting creepy now…).

"I know you all were very impressed with our performance today," Louise started in a lofty tone. I grimaced a little, seeing as I had done all the work, but Louise didn't notice and continued, "But we have some business to attend to now. We'll see you later."

In a lower tone, she muttered, "Michael, come with me." With that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me along, ignoring all the congratulations that she received from her fellow peers.

"Um, Louise, where are you taking me?" I asked tentatively.

"Silence."

"Okay, fine, be that way," I grumbled.

Before long, we arrived at a secluded area, right behind the main tower of the school.

Louise stopped abruptly and turned towards me. She had this weird look on her face, almost as if something was about to hit her. Her cheeks were tinted red, and she avoided eye contact with me. Hm. If anime and corny romance novels like Twilight was anything to go by, this sort of resembled the moment where the heroine confessed her affections to the protagonist.

Woah, wait - what?

Was _Louise_ going to confess?

I wish.

"I…I'm..," she started, but staggered as the earth beneath us shook. Reflexively, I caught her and held her steady.

"What the…?"

We spun around together and gaped in shock as we saw what had made the earth quake so.

A giant lump of earth, like a larger version of Guiche's Valkyrie's, formed before us. It rose high - damn, this thing was gonna be huge - to about 3 stories, and formed into what looked like a rock golem from Fable. Looking up, I could make out a hooded figure standing on top its deformed head.

"What the hell is that, a rock golem?!" I cried out with surprise. What the hell was this thing doing here?

Without warning, the giant golem launched its rock arm at us with surprising speed.

"Look out!" I heard Louise cry and I was roughly shoved aside. I fell to the floor, bewildered, my head a confused mess. What was going on? A minute ago, everything was fine…Louise was possibly going to confess to me…and now this rock golem out of Fable appeared! I froze as I heard a long and echoing wail coming from the golem's clenched fist.

Louise was in danger.

"Louise!" I cried. I pushed myself up and drew Delfringer from his sheath.

"Partner, what's going-"

"Louise. I need to help Louise," I hissed through clenched teeth as I seized the end of Del's scarf.

"Who are you, and what do you think you're doing to Louise" I yelled, more furious than I could ever remember being before this.

The hooded figure issued a high pitched cackle as the golem straightened. So she was a woman. Woman or not, screw that shit about "not hurting women", I was going drag that bitch through seven different levels of hell. I was going to fucking _murder _her. The thought was sickly sweet to me as the bloodlust ran through my veins. That bitch was going to pay.

"I am Fouquet, Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt," she said in a haughty voice that I might have heard somewhere before. I hated it immediately. If only I could slit that throat of hers…"I am here for the hidden treasure of this school - the Staff of Destruction."

"Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt?" I shouted back. "Well then I've got news for you – you're about to meet your maker seeing as I'm going to fucking annihilate your ass, you-!"

"_Michael_!" A very different voice from Fouquet's screamed. The sound of that voice cut through the red haze the bloodlust and hatred had covered my mind with and my breath snagged.

Louise.

I took a brief and quick glance at Louise. She was trembling, her eyes darting around her and trapped, but she was safe. I could've fallen to my knees in prayer right then but I had more important things to worry about - like getting up to Fouquet so that I could cut her heart out.

Rather, that's what I would've done, but seeing Louise trapped had put things into perspective. First things first: I had to save Louise.

"Louise!" I yelled back. "Get yourself out of there! Any way that you can! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!"

I dragged my eyes back to Fouquet. Wait… was she casting a spell?

"Things aren't looking good Partner," murmured Delfringer. "Careful, now."

It didn't matter right now. Whether it was or wasn't, I could only buy Louise time.

"Fouquet of the Crumbling Dirt huh? So what's with the hood? Did your face crumble as well?" I shouted, keeping my eyes warily on her wand.

Her wand hand twitched and the hooded figure started trembling. Ha, so touchy about her looks. What a stupid slut. I'll bet she's a Blondie.

"You dare to insult me… Go forth, my Golem - crush him!" she yelled.

Too bad for her though. Time was up.

"FIREBALL!" Louise shouted as she brandished her wand. Fouquet instantly turned towards her, alarmed. Nothing seemed to happen for a few seconds, before an explosion battered the wall next to the golem.

I slammed my palm against my forehead. COME ON, was her magic THAT bad? Fouquet laughed.

"Ha, how was that fireball?!" laughed Fouquet, but her laughter abruptly stopped and she gasped in surprise. I followed her line of sight and looked at the wall, and gasped as well. Half the whole frigging wall was practically cracked all over! Talk about a critical hit…

This wasn't time to be distracted. I needed to save Louise, seeing as she couldn't do it herself…

With a loud battle cry (my God, maybe I _did _watch too much anime) I charged, trying to keep a close distance to the golem. I looked up at Louise, who was still struggling in the Golem's grip.

"Michael!" she screamed again.

My grip on Delfringer tightened as did my resolve.

I _would _save her!

"Hah, do you think I will let you do whatever it is you're trying?!" cried Fouquet. "As if a mere commoner like you stands a chance against me!" She flicked her hand, and the golem threw a quick fist at me. I jumped to the side, barely dodging the gigantic fist. I staggered as the earth shook; dirt and debris from the impact covered me. Damn, not only was this thing fast, but it had incredible range too! I wiped the dirt off my face, I heard Louise again, but she wasn't screaming for help this time.

"Michael! Leave! Don't worry about me - just run!" She yelled, her face terrified – for herself, or for me?

"You expect me to leave you here? Isn't it my duty to protect you?!" I yelled, dodging another incoming attack. Again, the ground groaned and I clamped my teeth together to keep them from rattling.

"I'll be fine! If you fight you'll…" she started, but the loud groaning of the Golem blocked the rest out.

She was afraid of me getting hurt? She wanted me to be safe?

My face hardened as I fought the panic threatening to overwhelm me. There was only one way out.

I had to fight.

I dig my heels into the ground and spun, dodging again I lifted up Del, and attempted to cut the Golems huge arm. Unfortunately for me, all I received was a deafening clang, and my arms went numb from the backlash of the hit. I cursed as Del fell out of my sense-deadened arms.

"Oi, just what are you doing, partner?!" Del asked indignantly.

Fouquet's laughter rained down again.

"Hah, do not think you can cut my Golem so easily!" she mocked. The hatred surged anew in my veins and the bloodlust crept back in. If I only could stab her, sever her limbs…hear her scream in agony…feel the blood gushing along down Delfringer and dyeing my hands red…

"Michael! Don't be stupid!" Louise shrieked, interrupting my homicidal thoughts. I ignored her.

This is what I'm supposed to do, isn't it?

This is my job right?

Isn't that what she told me?

I stopped in place.

Puzzled yet intrigued by this, Fouquet began speaking again.

"What do you think you can accomplish by standing still?" she taunted. Her Golem lifted up its arm again, but I paid no attention to it.

I'm not gonna lose here. I thought desperately, my brain infuriatingly sluggish. If I do, everything I worked for the past month will be taken.

Everything will be taken away _again_. I had already lost one life, one world, friends…

Friends.

If I lost here, Louise, Kirche, Guiche, Montmorency and Tabitha will all suffer because of me.

I won't let that happen.

"Goodbye, commoner," Fouquet purred as she pointed her wand directly at me. And the Golem's fist came down.

But not at all fast. The world seemed to slow down. I felt a surge of warmth grow inside my body, and I felt light as a feather. Delfringer was even lighter than before as well, and I grinned in pure exhilaration.

The power that I had when I fought Guiche finally showed itself.

"Now partner, your power has finally awakened. Attack now before it's too late!" yelled Delfringer.

"No need to tell me that!" I yelled as I kicked him back into my hands with my foot. The movement had taken almost no time at all.

Time. Every was so slow now, speed was merely a matter of thinking about it. I idly compared it to the "Eye of the Storm" ability from Prince of Persia 2. So this was what it felt like, fighting monsters, controlling time and all that. Time. I had all the time in the world!

Time sped up once again, and I gazed up, ready to counter-attack. Fouquet laughed, and I heard Louise yell an inaudible sound.

As the Golem's arm closed in on me, I jumped towards it-

-and sliced it in half.

"What - how is this possible? My golem is harder than steel!" Fouquet exclaimed in utter amazement.

"Michael?" Louise screamed in astonishment. They were both flabbergasted, staring at me like I wasn't human. Heck, _I _was flabbergasted! I mean, I managed to cut off a 2 story sized arm! That only happens in anime!

That didn't matter now though. I could cut this damn thing. I lifted up my sword again, and I gave my trademark grin – 50% rashness, 50% idiocy, and 100% pure adrenaline.

Quickly regenerating its arm, the golem tried to stomp on me this time. I jumped nimbly to the side, and using Del's scarf I spun him, and thrusted him forward. Del launched forward like a bullet, and plunged a hole through its stomach; like a stick through water. I yanked Delfringer up, slicing the golem to its neck. I pulled Del back, and I tried to attack again, but the golem regenerated again. I could make out a scowl on the lower half of Fouquet's face. Take that, Blondie.

"Never mind this commoner!" she yelled shrilly. Directing her wand at the cracked tower wall, she screamed, "Crush it!"

The golem punched the wall that Louise's spell had weakened. There was a thunderous thud upon impact. Slowly, like a deck of cards falling in on itself, the face of the wall crumbled inwards and left a gaping hole in the tower's wall.

"Oh, shit," I murmured. I'd completely forgotten that Fouquet had wanted to steal some "Staff of Destruction" – and I'd just let her get to it!

I could make out a self-satisfied smirk on her face before she jumped in the ruined tower swiftly and retrieved an exquisitely decorated box.

"At last," she murmured, before she turned towards me with a full blown smirk on her face.

"You want this girl so badly? Have her then!" she shouted. And to my horror, the golem loosened its fist – and Louise plummeted like a stone earthwards.

"Louise!" I roared, as I watched her fall. I didn't think – I just ran with everything I had.

The rest was a blur for me. One moment, I was deathly certain I was too far away, that I wouldn't make it in time, that her death would be my fault, that I would forever carry that last memory of her falling, of her scream echoing in my ear for all time –

And the next moment I was aware that she was in my arms, trembling, warm, _alive_, before I fell to the ground in exhaustion. I was dimly aware of her clutching to my chest, of her calling my name – it seemed so distant as the world suddenly blurred. My inhuman acts were finally taking their toll on me.

I struggled against the exhaustion and looked up again, only to see a flow of green hair, and Tabitha's blue familiar, Sylphid soaring across the sky.

"Green hair…?" I thought dimly. Well, damn it. So much for blonde.

Shouts and screams shook the both of us out of our little stupor, and we looked in the direction of the commotion. To Louise's surprise and mine, it seemed as though the whole school had come rushing out, the students, the staff, and even the princess and her royal guards. How did they know that-?

My knees shook as the golem crumbled back into harmless rock and dirt and hit the ground. Oh right. The noise. Our little fight hadn't exactly been that quiet.

After Louise wearily explained the situation, the guards and teachers wasted no time, immediately conducting their searches while the students screamed and gossiped and more or less were in the way.

"Louise!"

Henrietta flung herself onto Louise, embracing her tightly, to the astonishment of the students, staff, guards, yeah, all of them. I just blinked; I was too tired for anything else.

"I'm so glad you are alright! Louise!" she cried, tears in her eyes.

"I am sorry I was unable to protect the treasure, Your Highness," apologized Louise weakly, and she shot down to one knee. Henrietta only lifted her up from her position.

Henrietta shook her head, before replying, "It was not your fault, Louise. I...I have to go now, I need to report this matter to the court." She embraced Louise gently one last time and turned to leave but paused.

"Oh, and Michael?"

It took me a second to realize she was addressing me. "Yes, Princess?"

"Thank you for protecting Louise. I hope you will continue to do so in future," she said earnestly. I blinked. Did she even need to ask?

"Of course I will." I replied, and I tried to smile. Damn, even doing that is exhausting…

Henrietta smiled gently before she waved her goodbye, and departing with the royal guards.

"I hope the princess won't be held accountable for this…" Louise mumbled to me, looking depressed. Well, it would make sense if she did, since the whole school guard was around protecting her.

"I hope so too," was all I could say. Louise did not look remotely comforted.

Man, am I pathetic in these situations.

"Umm, Michael…" Louise started in a faint voice. I turned towards her. There was a faint glimmer of hesitation in her eyes as she looked into mine searchingly.

"What is it?"

"Is it okay if I can ask…why didn't you run when I was captured?"

I was a bit dumbstruck from this. Did she really need for me to spell it out?

"Well… I guess it won't hurt to tell you." I started, searching for the right words. "The reason I didn't run away was because… I see you as a good friend."

I saw her blush; since I figured she would take it none too graciously if I mentioned that fact, I continued as if I hadn't.

"Sure, you may threaten me, whip me, and starve me but that doesn't matter. Even though you did all those things, you kept me with you. You never abandoned me, you always kept your word, and you always put up with me, even on the days that I acted like a bit of a jerk. That really means a lot to me," I admitted, smiling ruefully. "I felt that if I ran away, I would only be shaming you and myself."

I stopped, catching my breath.

"Also, its not just you, but Kirche, Tabitha, Montmorency and Guiche as well. I may not know them well, but I still met them. I know their names, their personalities, so what does it matter? Anyway, I felt that running away wouldn't solve anything." I suddenly stopped. God, what was I doing? Embarrassment suddenly seized me, embarrassment at saying so much. It was so…so like an anime, actually. "I...I didn't want you guys to suffer because of me…" I looked at the ground, trying to avoid her gaze.

She said nothing. After a few moments of silence, I glanced sheepishly up to see her nod sympathetically. That definitely made me feel a lot better for pouring my heart out. And since I'd already poured out quite a bit of it, might as well say a little more.

"Also… There's one more reason."

"What would that be?" she asked. Should I really tell her…? One look into her eyes, soft and understanding, encouraged me to go on.

"You act like… someone I know." I paused. Memories of my past life in Canada came before me…

Louise didn't say anything - I think she sensed that I wouldn't – couldn't – say anything more. Instead she turned around and with a short "Let's go" started walking back to the school.

I didn't immediately follow her; I stood there, reveling in the…talk we'd just had.

Maybe it was just wishful thinking but I liked to think that today…I'd gotten just a little bit closer to Louise.

"So, Partner…," Del interrupted my thoughts. He stretched out the words into almost a drawl. "D'you like her or what?" I smacked him.

"Don't say that. Besides, even if I did, she probably wouldn't like me anyway," I retorted. Del chuckled gleefully.

"So you _do _like her! Ah, the pangs of unrequited love…"

I smacked him again.

"Hey, are you coming or not?!" Louise's indignant voice rang out. She was standing with crossed arms, giving me the same obnoxious look that she had always given me before.

Ah…maybe it _was _just wishful thinking.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

And with that, we silently headed back to our dorm.

---

All right you guys, that's it for this chapter! Hope you enjoyed it.

Also, on a few notes, yes I did yell objection at a school event. There was a bullying convention, and some actors came to our school and performed for us. They called up a few volunteers (me included) and we were supposed to try to avoid what happened in the play that they showed us earlier. And yes, while one of the students (one of my friends took the role of the bullied person.) I yelled OBJECTION!

…

Ok the reason I did was because during the play, my friend Andy and I were talking about Phoenix Wright so… yeah

Also, thanks to FanimeScribbler for editing this Fanfic. Couldn't have done it without you… Desu ne =D

Here's a few words from her…

FanimeScribbler: Yes, I am Da Scribbler, dunno if you've read my fics… Anyways, it's _about time _that ChaosxPaladin credited me. Naw, kidding – believe it or not, I enjoyed editing this fanfic. Still – _about time_.

And yes, CxP DID, in fact, yell OBJECTION at a school event. As his friend, I will never, ever, EVER let him forget about it – which is why I mentioned it in this fanfic so that the whole world will now know.

ChaosxPaladin again: …Right.

Thanks for reading, and REVIEW!!!


	7. Charades, Charades, & more Charades

Change my Destiny Chapter 7: My true Identity

The next day

Louise knocked politely on the principal's door before opening and entering, while Kirche, Tabitha and I followed.

The principal had called Louise and Tabitha as they were the only ones to have seen Fouquet; Tabitha had seen her while flying on Sylphid. Kirche on the other hand, just tagged along since she thought it would be interesting. And me, well…do I really need to explain?

Gathered already in the room was the principal, Osman, as well as all the staff. Their faces were unusually grave.

"Miss Vallière, Miss Tabitha," the white haired principal began, inclining his head politely. "Thank you for coming. Through our surveillance, we have found a suspicious woman going in and out of a cabin that is located deep in the forest. We would like you to confirm whether it is really Fouquet."

Nodding towards Miss Longueville, the pretty green haired secretary, she stepped forth, producing a sketch. I gasped in a low inhale. It was the spitting image of Fouquet.

_Green hair…?_ I thought to myself. Memories of yesterday came back to me.

"Yes! That's her! I'm sure!" exclaimed Louise excitedly, while Tabitha nodded silently.

_How was she able to draw her so clearly?_ I wondered. I looked at Miss Longueville. She had always seemed so nice, so friendly but this alone couldn't stifle my newfound suspicions.

"Thank you. I appreciate this greatly. Now, anyone here who wants to volunteer in the apprehending of Fouquet, please raise your wand," said the aged principal. The staff all looked at one another uneasily, shuffling their feet, but none put up their wand.

"No one?" asked Osman again, disappointment colouring his voice.

"I will go!" All heads turned towards Louise, whom had her wand raised determinedly. I nodded with approval.

"Me too! I shall not lose to a Vallière!" exclaimed Kirche, pulling out her wand hastily and also raising it.

To my surprise, Tabitha raised her staff as well. "I am worried about the two of you," she murmured almost inaudibly. Kirche smiled at her; Louise merely nodded.

Osman closed his eyes, sighing, before speaking in a solemn voice.

"We have no choice then. Since our staff is less than courageous, I shall entrust this mission to the three of you. Good luck."

"I shall lead them there," offered Miss Longueville, as Osman nodded in appreciation.

Louise and Kirche looked at Miss Longueville with relieved eyes; even Tabitha looked more at ease.

My suspicion only strengthened.

---

On the wagon, it was quiet. Miss Longueville smiled to herself as she drove the horses but did not speak. Louise and Kirche mostly glared at each other. They had clearly made this a competition between the two of them. And Tabitha was…Tabitha. Absorbed in yet another book - she really did make me think of Yuki from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya sometimes.

The silence was a bit awkward, but I didn't really mind it. I sat back and just let myself enjoy the scenery.

Oh how beautiful this was, compared to home. Canada may be one of the world's – well, _my _world's most beautiful countries, but like the rest of Earth, it had been spoiled over by mankind's civilization and technology. It wasn't like that here – mankind here could barely hold its own against Nature. I'd always appreciated the conveniences of technology – like cars, electricity, and video games – but sometimes, I had found myself wishing I could find myself in Hyrule, or Alagaesia. Somewhere that was medieval styled, somewhere where both horror and beauty were vivid in our lives, somewhere where life was so much more exciting – somewhere like here.

After half an hour of traveling on a wagon pulled by horses, however, the silence was almost suffocating so I decided to make some small talk.

"Hey, since Fouquet can use magic, that means she's a noble right? So why is she a thief?" I asked. It had been something that I had been wondering about for a while now.

The others were silent, but Miss Longueville answered my question.

"Not all mages are nobles. For various reasons, many of them have been stripped of their nobility. Among those people, there are some who become mercenaries and others who become criminals." There was a sudden flash in her eyes.

"Even I have lost my nobility," she admitted after just a moment's hesitation.

This piece of information surprised us all.

"But, aren't you Old Osman's secretary?" demanded Kirche, startled out of silence.

"Mr. Osman isn't concerned much with one's status," Miss Longueville answered with a slight smile.

"Then, what circumstances stripped you of your nobility?" I asked. She didn't answer, but her lips pressed together into a hard line.

"Michael, that was discourteous of you!" yelled Louise, smacking me. Kirche pouted at this.

"He was just making small talk, since there's nothing else to do. Honestly, what made me do this?"

Gee, I wonder.

"You shouldn't have come then!" retorted Louise, crossing her arms. Suddenly, a smile formed on Kirche's face. She got up, planting herself beside me.

"I guess you're right, but if I didn't come I would worry about my Darling. Isn't that right?" She said, wrapping her arms around mine. Sheesh, you think she would have heard of the saying "Personal Space." Louise's thoughts were evidently along the same lines as she gave Kirche a hard look.

"Uhh, sure." I wondered if there was a way to free my arm without seeming obvious about it.

"What about you, Louise? What do you plan to do if that Golem comes out again?"

"What do you mean what will I do? I'll use my Magic!" Louise glared at Kirche as if daring her to say anything about her magic. I don't know why she bothered – with Kirche being Kirche, she would definitely bite.

Magic? Who's Magic? Don't make me laugh, Louise the Zero!" Kirche taunted. I knew it – she bit. She sniggered as Louise flushed dark red.

The tension was starting to get high between them. I decided that I better split them up before things could get out of hand.

"Sheesh, you two need to relax. We shouldn't be fighting each other!"

They both made huffy noises but fell silent. Kirche cuddled closer to me. I tried to edge away without notable success. Louise crossed her arms and determinedly kept her eyes from us. Tabitha closed her book, having finished it, paused for a second, and then flipped back to the beginning.

And with that, another long silence…

--

Pretty soon after that, the five of us finally arrived at our destination. The shabby cabin was located in the middle of a clearing. We approached it cautiously.

"It looks like there are no traps," Tabitha told us after examining the cabin with her staff.

"Alright, then, let's go take a look," I said. I opened the door, which squealed open on rusty hinges, Tabitha and Kirche trailing behind me.

"I will stand guard outside," I heard Louise call.

"'Kay, thanks," I said. I froze as I heard Miss Longueville speak.

"Then, I will scout the surrounding area," she offered, smiling at Louise. I felt uneasy again, suspicion nearly choking me but I just nodded and entered the decrepit little cabin.

Dust was abundant in the cabin, and we coughed and hacked as we searched through the cabin.

"There's nothing here," I said, rubbing the back of my head. I'd had enough of this dust anyways. Kirche, who was sitting down, agreed.

"Let's go back outside," she whined.

I made for the exit, Kirche following behind me. Just as we were about to leave, Tabitha motioned for us to stop.

"I found it," she announced quietly, holding up the exquisite black box that Fouquet carried when she escaped. Kirche let out a yelp of delight and shock at Tabitha's discovery. I did a double-take, but then forced myself to focus.

"Well, it is the box, but we don't know if-" I was cut off as a loud shriek came from outside.

"Louise!" I yelled. Before we so much as take a step, the roof was torn off, revealing the same giant earth golem from before with Louise in its grasp.

"Oh come on, again?!" I screamed. Tabitha immediately stepped forward with her staff aimed at the golem and chanted something under her breath. Suddenly, a tornado formed at the tip of her staff, and launched itself at the golem. The gust of wind blew in our faces, and dust filled the air. The tornado crashed into the golem, only to be cancelled out by its sheer mass.

"It was ineffective?!" I cried out in dismay. I mean, I had no trouble cutting it last time and that tornado must've had one hell of an impact. Was it stronger?

"Fire!" I heard Kirche yell beside me. A wave of fire that reminded me of Sasuke's fireball jutsu wrapped around the arm that held Louise. Combined with Tabitha's tornado, the stress was too much – the arm broke off, crumbled and fell to the ground, Louise with it. She shrieked but I was already outside, and I caught her – good thing she was so light.

"Oh!" She gasped. "Thank-"

Shattered rock fragments fell around us.

"Get down!" I yelled and I pulled us both to the floor, covering her body with mine from the debris.

"Louise, are you alright?!" I asked anxiously, helping her up.

She nodded. "I'm fine. I was watching the area, when it suddenly…-" she started, but she shoved me to the ground again, and we avoided another incoming strike from the golem.

A loud whistle filled the air, and Louise and I looked up. Sylphid, who had been waiting for us deep in the forest, came soaring through the sky towards us, with Tabitha and Kirche onboard. I picked Louise up, ignoring her yelp, and ran towards them.

"Climb on!" yelled Kirche.

"Kirche, Tabitha, get yourselves and Louise out of here!" I yelled, helping Louise up. The golem roared again, and turned, drawing Delfringer.

"This again?" Del grumbled. "How bothersome…"

"What about you?" asked Tabitha.

"I beat this thing before, and I'll do it again. Now go!" I yelled, running towards the golem. I heard the strong flapping of Sylphid's wings, and I felt at ease. At least Louise wouldn't be in danger this time round.

"Come and get it, dirt bag!" I yelled, and I felt the surge of power again. I was staring to get used to drawing it out.

The golem roared again, and slowly started making its way towards me. But like I said, I fought this thing before. So it wasn't too difficult getting a hit.

The golem threw a quick fist at me, which I expected. I dodged to the right, and jumped between its legs. I loosened Del's scarf, and launched him straight at its left ankle. Direct hit; the golem staggered. I swung him again, cutting off its right leg. I held my breath but it luckily fell forwards and not on me.

The golem, now struggling to stand, fell on its knees, and I took full advantage of this. Scaling its back, I made my way towards its head. Once I reached the top, I threw Delfringer around its head, and using that as a grip, started slashing away.

The golem's legs regenerated and it stood unfazed by my attack. Mindlessly, it thrust another punch straight at me.

Exactly as planned.

After slashing a sixth time I jumped away from the golem, and it struck itself with a devastating punch. If rock could bruise, that would've done the trick. Luckily for me, the golem hit exactly where I had been slashing, severing the head.

"All right, that's the way it's done!" I yelled triumphantly, but I was soon staring up again at the golem, as it regenerated its head.

"Oh come on, it can even do that? That's cheap!" I roared in frustration. It looked like no matter how many times I cut him down, he would just regenerate. I felt hope draining out; how can I fight something that won't die?

"I'm coming, Michael!" I heard Louise scream. I turned towards her voice – and nearly had a heart attack as I saw her jump off.

Jump off of a dragon.

A dragon in the middle of flight.

In the middle of a kind of HIGH flight.

WAS SHE CRAZY?!

"Louise!" I screamed, my eyes riveted on her. With a rush of relief, I saw Tabitha wave her staff at Louise so that she floated rather than fell down. Still, what was she doing?

"Get away from Michael!" Louise cried out, taking out the Staff of Destruction.

I felt the world grind to a halt.

"No way, is that an RPG?!!" The words came out before I could stop them, the shock having dragged them out.

Louise, completely unaware of what she was holding, started to pointlessly swing around the rocket launcher. If we were in any other situation, I could've laughed, but I immediately ran to her because firstly, the golem was advancing on her, and secondly, I wouldn't put it past her to accidently shoot herself with the thing.

"Ugh, why isn't it working?!" she cried out.

"That's not how you work it! Move!" I ordered, stanching the RPG from her hands. Immediately unlocking the safety, I swung it over my shoulders.

"Get down Again!" I yelled. Louise threw herself down and I launched it. I staggered back from the recoil before I threw the RPG away and covered Louise again as a thunderous boom echoed through the forest. The rocket jetted towards the golem, and shattered its upper body, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. The golem fell apart from the blast, and sunk down like the titanic.

I straightened up, coughing at the dust in the air. Aside from the shock, I also felt a giddy joy. I had just launched a RPG – _a freaking real life RPG!!! _I'd never be interested in Halo again.

"Amazing…" I hear Louise say in an awed voice.

"Amazing is right. What's this thing doing here?!" I exclaimed. I had a lot of questions for the school when we got back.

My thoughts were cut off when Kirche caught me in a hug that crushed the breath out of me.

"Darling! Who would have thought you could have used a magic staff!" _Dude_, where the _hell _was she putting my _face?!? _I struggled to keep a focus on my thoughts, to not like it, to not think it, to not think about her b- TO NOT THINK ABOUT IT-

"Get off me! And that's not a staff, that's a -"

"Fouquet, where is she?" asked Tabitha calmly.

"Good point, Tabitha!" Kirche agree, letting me go. I gasped at the fresh air, no longer suffocated by her huge – ARGH! Louise gave me a cold glare.

"If the golem was here, she must be close!" Kirche insisted. Shit, she was right. I glanced around, looking for the all too familiar hooded figure and green hair…

I heard the RPG being picked up. I turned, only to see the Miss Longueville, her smile sickly sweet and with green, green hair.

My eyes narrowed.

"Well done everyone. The magic staff has been recovered."

"Miss Longueville! Where were you up till now?" Louise asked, but I already figured it out.

"Enough with the charade. Tell us your true intentions, Fouquet!" I growled. The others gasped.

"She's Fouquet?!" cried Louise and Kirche in surprise. Fouquet grinned.

"So boy, when did you figure it out?" she asked. Slowly, she let her hair down and removed her glasses. Oh great, we got another Superman is in the house.

As she did so, her hair and eyes changed – they turned to the light green hair and yellow eyes of Fouquet. Louise and Kirche gasped in recognition.

"It wasn't hard putting two and two together. When we first fought you, I noticed you had green hair. Miss Longueville was the only one around us who had green hair – not to mention you have the same cloak," I explained warily, keeping my eyes on her.

"Very impressive, but I'm afraid our time is up," she drawled.

I had to act. Spinning around, I reached for my sword but the RPG flashed up to point directly at me.

"Don't move!" Her voice whipped like a lash.

I froze in place, and she started talking again, at ease again.

"It was good that I stole it, but I had trouble using it."

"So I was your guinea pig, huh?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Exactly. I knew that you would be able to use it, Gandalf…" Gandalf? Oh, so its Lord of the Rings now?

"Gandalf?" Louise mumbled. She looked at me, seeking answers but I didn't understand what was going on either.

"Let me thank you for teaching me this… and goodbye."

I drew out the hidden blade as a loud click filled the air.

Everyone turned, confused but I already knew.

"What?! What's wrong with this thing? Why isn't it working?" she cried, pressing the trigger again and again in dismay. Perfect, she was distracted.

I darted forward, and mimicking Altair's high profile assassination strike, I stabbed the hidden blade into her stomach, trying to avoid any vital organs.

There was an intake of breath and a choked cry of pain. "D-damn you…" she whispered, before fainting. She fell onto the ground. I stepped back and looked at her. Letting her just die was tempting but…I sighed. I took Delfringer's scarf, and started bandaging her wound.

The confusion of the others was almost tangible in the air, so I explained as I worked.

"As you can see here, unfortunately, it only has one shot." I paused, and I tightly wrapped the scarf around Fouquet's wound.

"But…how do you know that?" Louise asked me, and I turned.

"This is an RPG Rocket Launcher. It comes from my country. But what is it doing here?" I wondered aloud.

Yeah, I really had some questions to ask when I got back.

---

thanks to FanimeScribbler for editing this Fanfic. Couldn't have done it without you… Desu ne =D

Here's a few words from her…

FanimeScribbler: Yes, I am Da Scribbler, dunno if you've read my fics… Anyways, it's _about time _that ChaosxPaladin credited me. Naw, kidding – believe it or not, I enjoyed editing this fanfic. Still – _about time_.

And yes, CxP DID, in fact, yell OBJECTION at a school event. As his friend, I will never, ever, EVER let him forget about it – which is why I mentioned it in this fanfic so that the whole world will now know.

ChaosxPaladin again: …Right.

Thanks for reading, and REVIEW!!!


	8. Well then, Let us Dance!

Change my Destiny Chapter 8: Who are you really?

Hey guys sorry for the no update. Its just I haven't been able to cope with my work from school (got a lot more than usual) so I has busy with that. Also, I found out that Zero no Tsukaima has a light novel, so I actually used that as a base for this chapter, since i had a writers block. So yeah, I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, the anime etc. and all rights go to their owners.

And once again thanks to Fanime Scribbler for editing my work. Couldn't have done it without you.

~CxP

---

Louise knocked politely on the principal's door before opening and entering, while Kirche, Tabitha and I followed.

It had only been a few hours since our encounter with Fouquet. We had a bit of trouble bringing her back, but with Tabitha's magic restraints, and the wound I gave her, it was no problem. Louise and I explained the situation, and presented Fouquet to the principal, whose guards took her away. I gave doubtful looks, but Louise smacked me, telling me to pay attention to the Principal.

"Fouquet will be put into custody of the royal guards, and the staff of destruction is again sealed in the treasure room. All is well. Also, you are all the honored guests of tonight's party." He said with a content sigh.

"How did you go about hiring her?" Mr. Colbert, who just walked into the room asked.

"In a tavern. I was a customer while she was a waitress there. Where I slowly caressed her from her hands down to her buttocks…" I grimaced, and face-palmed. Seriously, were ALL old men this gullible for women? I mean it was already bad enough in Haruhi Suzumiya when the old man went after her, but this is just stupid! I wanted to really scream at him for it, but Louise unfortunately held me back.

"Then what happened?" Mr. Colbert asked again. Osman blushed.

"Because she wasn't angry at all after what I did, I asked her whether she wanted to become my secretary or not." Scratch stupid, this guy was way over the top…

"Sheesh, your stupidity level is totally OVER 9000!!!" I shouted.

I was responded with a complete silence. They all stared, like I was some retarded caveman.

"Over what?" They all asked me, but then it hit me.

"Oh yeah, I'm in a new country. No one will get it here…" I sighed. Man, now no one will laugh at my jokes.

"Well moving o-" The bewildered Mr. Colbert started, but was cut off.

"Anyways!" Headmaster Osman cried out suddenly, making us all jump. Who knew he could scream so loud?

Osman started coughing due to strain, and said, "She could use magic too."

"Yeah, magic that could kill." Mr. Colbert and I mumbled to ourselves.

Old man Osman coughed again.

"Come to think of it, the reason that Fouquet allowed me to touch her all over the place, served me wine happily, and praised that I was handsome man, while I was in the tavern, was just to infiltrate the academy. All those praises were most probably just lies…"

"Yes. Beautiful women are deadly mages."

"Please, I could have probably taken her. Oh wait, I did!" I said sarcastically. Before the two could do anything, Louise grabbed my arm, and started dragging me outside.

"I'm sorry for my familiar's rudeness! I shall punish him right away!"

In an effort to make it seem like I was struggling, I acted out the next part.

"NO, NO, NOT TORTURE AGAIN! I WANT TO LIVE, I WANT TO LIVE!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Luckily for me Louise thought I was serious, and dragged me out of the room with little to no effort.

---

Back in the room, gently caressing each of the trio's heads Osman said, "I have requested the imperial court to confer upon you the title of Chevalier, I believe that we should have news of it soon. And since Tabitha already has the title of chevalier, I have requested that she be given the Elven Medallion."

The trio's faces brightened up upon hearing the news.

"Really?" Kirche exclaimed in astonishment.

"Yes. You have done more than enough to deserve this title. Haven't you?"

That's not fair. I did all the work here… Oh well. I guess this is what they meant by "nobles and commoners."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Louise turn my way.

"Headmaster Osman, Michael… won't get anything?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Because he's not a noble…"

"I don't need anything, but I would like a few questions answered," I said, and Old Man Osman nodded. He then suddenly clapped his hands together.

"I almost forgot. Tonight's Ball of Frigg will resume as planned since we have gotten back the Staff of Destruction."

I saw Kirche's face brightened up. "That's right. Let's forget about Fouquet and dance all night long!"

"The main attraction of the ball will be you three. So go get ready and dress up!" replied Osman, and Kirche shook with excitement.

The three bowed once again, and Kirche left through the door, Tabitha in hand.

"What about you?" Louise asked me. I turned to her, and smiled as best I could.

"You go first. I'll catch up later."

I could tell Louise was still worried, but I sighed with relief as she nodded reluctantly and left the room.

I turned to Osman again. It's time to get some answers.

"You have something to ask me?"

I nodded.

"Please ask. I'll try to answer your question to the best of my abilities. Even though I couldn't confer you a title, this is the least I can do to show my appreciation."

Immediately after, he asked Mr. Colbert to leave the room.

"B-but…" he started, but I stopped him.

"Its alright, he can stay." Osman nodded his assent, and Colbert sighed with relief.

"So what did you want to know?" He asked. I tried to think up an explanation, stumbling on a few words before I started.

"Well, before I start anything, I want to say a few things…" They said nothing, and I continued.

"To start with, the Staff of Destruction was originally from my world."

Osman's eyes gleamed. "Originally from your world?"

"I-I'm not from this world. I come from another planet, but it's oddly similar to this one, only more technologically advanced." I mumbled. The two mages faced each other, their faces grave with disbelief.

"Is this true?"

"It's true. I was transported to this world due to Louise's summoning. I don't know how or why, but she did." They both nodded.

"I see. If that's the case…"

"What kind of advancements did your world have?" Colbert asked, but I stopped him.

"I would honestly like to talk about that, but for now lets move on with more important things." He nodded in response, disappointed.

"The Staff of Destruction was a weapon from my world. It was quite common in the military, but I would like to know just who brought it here?

Osman sighed. Not a good sign.

"The one who gave me the Staff of Destruction was my savior."

Savior?

"Where is the person now? If my suspicions are correct, he's probably the same-"

"He died. That was over thirty years ago…" Osman's face was grave once again, and Colbert wiped his brow.

"What? He died? How?" I asked, urging him to continue.

"Thirty years ago, while I was strolling inside the forest, I was attacked by a twin headed dragon. The one who saved me was the owner of the Staff of Destruction, and used another Staff to kill the dragon. He then collapsed from previous injuries. I transported him to the academy and treated his wounds as best I could but…" he stopped, and looked down.

"And he died?"

He nodded. Damn, I thought I could have met him.

"I buried the Staff of Destruction that he had used to save me along with him in his grave; the other one I named the Staff of Destruction and kept it inside the vault in order to commemorate my savior…"

Osman's gaze turned to the window.

"While he was resting on the bed till the day he died, he kept saying repeatedly 'Where is this place? I want to go back to my world.' I guess that he must be from the same world as yours."

"Who was the one who brought him to this world then?"

"I don't know. Right till the end, I still had no idea how he ended up here."

"Damn it! Just when I thought things would get interesting." I cursed. Osman's savior was most probably a soldier from Canada. But how did he end up in this world? If I managed to meet him, I would have gotten a serious boost in history class…

Osman, who suddenly appeared right in front of me, took my hand. I started, but he only stared intently at the back of my hand.

"These runes on your hand…"

"Oh yeah. I wanted to ask about that, too. Once the runes glow, I can use any weapon proficiently. Not just swords, even the weapons from my world too… I used to have some skill with them before, but nothing like this. When I fight with a sword, I feel so light, and I'm usually slow. My swings feel graceful, and they're usually rigid. Just what is this?" I asked again. Colbert also came, and studied the rune.

They pondered for a moment and Colbert broke the silence,

"…That I know. These are the runes of "Gandálfr", the legendary familiar." Colbert stated, wiping his brow again.

"The runes of the legendary familiar?"

"Yes. Gandálfr was a legendary familiar who could use any weapon at will. That is most likely the reason that you could use the Staff of Destruction."

I couldn't help but smile inside. This means I can use just about any weapon now! Lucky me! Damn, but this sounded like something right out of an anime or fantasy story. Still, it was awesome – and happening to _me!_

"…but the question is, why is Michael the legendary familiar?" Osman asked.

"I don't know." Colbert quickly replied.

"I'm sorry. But there is a possibility that the runes of Gandálfr are related to you being transported to this world."

I sighed. Oh well, who cares if I didn't know its history. Weapons across the world, here I come!

"I'm sorry that I could not be of much help. I'll always be on your side, Gandálfr!" Osman replied, hugging me slightly. "I must thank you once again for bringing back the possession of my benefactor."

"It's all right… It's what I do." I said tiredly.

"Well, in any case you should go before Miss Vallière gets angry again."

I bolted out of the room.

* * *

On top of the Dining Hall, there was this huge Dancing Hall (go figure). Huge as it was, it reminded me of the dance hall in Beauty and the Beast. Damn, I wonder if this was where they got their idea…

The students and teachers who were dressed grandly gathered around tables filled with exquisite food and chatted amongst themselves. I arrived there through a flight of stairs leading up to the balcony. Upon seeing them, I figured I probably wouldn't have fit in. So, I decided not to enter. Instead I went outside to another balcony, stealing about 2 large wine bottles and stared off into the distance.

"Eh, haven't you got a drop too much?" said Delfringer which was leaning on the balcony worryingly. As much as I liked Delfringer, sometimes he asked pointless questions.

"Meh, I've never actually drunk wine before, so I thought why not? Besides, there's about 200 or so bottles, and more are coming."

I stared up at the moons, and sighed once again.

I'm _bored…_

Just before the ball started Kirche, who was beautifully dressed in an evening gown was accompanying me, which I didn't mind. But as soon as the ball started she was nowhere to be seen. Man, talk about ninja skills…

In the end, I had no choice but to use Delfringer as a companion to drive away boredom.

Staring off wasn't doing anything, so I decided to look inside the dance hall.

In the middle of the dance floor, Kirche was surrounded by a group of young males, talking and laughing. Even though Kirche promised to dance with me, (I didn't care) it would be quite some time before I had a chance. Oh well, dancing isn't my thing anyway. My eyes strayed towards Tabitha.

Tabitha dressed in a black gown feasted away on the sumptuous food on the table. Steak, salad, fish, wine… Holy crap she can eat a ton. I wonder how she remains so skinny…

That didn't matter. Everyone was enjoying the dance… and here I was bored out of my mind.

The doors to the great hall suddenly opened to a elaborate trumpet fanfare, and an extravagant figure appeared.

I felt the world (once again) grind to a halt.

The guards at the door notified everyone of the figures arrival (not that they really had to – everyone in the room was staring).

"The daughter of Duke Vallière, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière arrives!"

I suddenly held my breath.

Louise was dressed in a pink (go figure) evening dress that oddly enough, looking a wedding dress. Her long, strawberry pink hair was tied up into two pigtails, and pure white silk gloves covered her hands. Her petite face along with her low cut dress made her shine like a lone star.

Damn, as annoying as she could be…

She looked pretty damn hot in that dress…

After confirming that the guest had arrived, the musicians started playing music that sounded something like an instrumental arrangement of "Before Dawn" by Isaac Shepherd. All around Louise were males that were captivated by Louise's beauty, asking for a dance with her.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. The guys that made fun of her were now trying to win her heart.

Other nobles started dancing gracefully on the dance floor. Louise turned down everyone's invitation for a dance (ha, serves them right), and I saw her turn towards me. I immediately turned away, determined not to look but before long, I heard her footsteps behind me.

"Looks like you're enjoying yourself," she said. Reluctantly, I turned towards her. Again, I was stunned. I hoped that she'd read the flush on my face as a result of the wine rather than from how utterly flawless she looked.

"Not really…" I said, struggling to move my gaze away from the dazzling Louise.

Delfringer looked at Louise and laughed.

"Haha. Clothes really do make the man!"

"Shut up, you pathetic excuse for a sword." Louise scolded. I then heard the shuffling of cotton silk.

"Aren't you going to dance?" I asked while avoiding Louise's gaze.

"I have no dance partner," Louise replied.

"Didn't a lot of people ask you for a dance just now?" I asked, turning towards her again.

Louise did not answer, and she extended her hand. I stared.

"Huh?"

"Even though you're just a familiar, I could make an exception." Her head turned, and my mouth opened.

She wanted to dance with me? Damn, I'm seriously lucky today…

"Don't you mean 'Could I have this dance?'?" I said, trying to add a little comic relief.

After a moment of silence, Louise sighed and flushed pink. I could feel my heart doing back flips.

"Only for today!" she said huffily.

Louise then held the ends of her dress and curtsied so gracefully it almost hurt to look at her.

"May I have a dance, sir?"

These actions made the bashful Louise look even more cute and alluring than ever before. I grinned, and bowed in a British motion.

"Well then, let us dance." I smiled, and she shook her head while I took her hand.

We made out way towards the dance floor, before I said something else.

"Just to let you know, I can't dance."

Might as well tell her now before I did something disastrous – like rip the hem of her fancy dress. I was pretty sure she wouldn't take kindly to that. Although…I wouldn't mind seeing what was under. Hey – it was only natural, okay? But then I remembered when I'd accidentally seen up one of my friend's skirts back in Canada, and well…I gotta say what happened after wasn't pretty.

"Just follow my rhythm," Louise replied, and then gently, she squeezed my hand. I imitated Louise's actions and followed her rhythm, moving in a waltzing like fashion. My movements were a bit stiff, but eventually I adjusted.

"Umm, Michael there's something I want to ask you." Her voice was a bit shaky, like after the evaluation.

Haha, I'll laugh if she confesses to me…

"What?"

"…You said that you were from another world," Louise replied while dancing gracefully.

Looks like I won't be laughing.

"Huh? What are you-"

"I originally only took what you said with a pinch of salt… but the Staff of Destruction… It's a weapon from your world isn't it? When I thought about that, all I could do was to believe you," Louise lowered her head in embarrassment.

And then it hit me.

"You eavesdropped on us?" I mumbled, looking away. She said nothing, before asking, "Do you wish to go back?"

I snorted.

"Hah, are you kidding me? I'd rather be sent to hell and back!"

This surprised her.

"You don't want to go back home?"

"No. It was frigging boring there. As much as I liked home, it was nowhere near as interesting as here." I smiled again, looking up at the ceiling.

After that, Louise was still blushing, and she went as far as avoiding my gaze to hide it.

"Thank you." She abruptly uttered.

Hearing that really surprised me. Why was she acting so funny today?

"For what?" I asked.

"Well… Didn't you save me when I was almost crushed by Fouquet's golem?" Louise replied.

"_Man, you're really weird today. Do you have a fever?" _I thought to myself. I grinned at her though. It wasn't so often that she was in a good mood that I could kill it when they came up.

"You're welcome. That's what I'm supposed to do."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your familiar."

Louise smiled. Put that together with just how freaking amazing she looked tonight, and I wouldn't blame anyone for falling in love right then.

The twin moons in the sky shone onto the dance floor, and along with the candlelight's, created a romantic atmosphere on the dance floor.

Looks like I'm gonna be staying here a little bit longer…

---

Hey guys sorry for the no update. Its just I haven't been able to cope with my work from school (got a lot more than usual) so I has busy with that. Also, I found out that Zero no Tsukaima has a light novel, so I actually used that as a base for this chapter. So yeah, I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, the anime etc.

And once again thanks to Fanime Scribbler for editing my work. Couldn't have done it without you.

Sorry again, and R&R.

ChaosxPaladin


	9. RE: Reflection

Change my Destiny Chapter 9: Reflection

Hey guys, its that time of updating again. R&R, and enjoy

Now on with the story!

The quiet and soft rustles of fabric rung like bells against my ears. Even as the world itself seemed to be dead quiet, I felt like I could hear anything that moved even the slightest bit. But why am I bothered by this so much you may be wondering?

Well, truth be told; I can't frigging sleep.

"God, I hate it when this happens…" I whispered as I lay on my haystack, staring at the ceiling. Too many things had happened too fast for my taste. Maybe it's because I was used to things being slow back home.

Speaking of which, I didn't miss home at all…

I had completely forgot about it, actually.

So many things have happened… The portal that brought me here, meeting Louise… Fighting Guiche… meeting Siesta, Montmorency, and Kirche… being chased by Louise… The evaluation fair and Fouquet… the dance even… the span of everything up to now just seemed so short. But as these thoughts ran through my mind, I wondered…

What was happening back home?

Well, obviously they would be wondering just where the hell I am, but I wonder… is anyone worried about me? Was anyone looking for me? Did they even notice I was gone? Well, not that thinking about those things would really help. I need to relieve some stress so…

I quietly stood from my haystack, but before I could do anything, the twin moons in full circle shone into the room, lighting it up brightly. Louise, clutching her blankets, moaned as though she was having a nightmare.

"A nightmare, huh? Must be something bad if she's that restless…" I thought. I wonder what she was dreaming about?

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud rattling noise.

"So partner, what you doing?" asked Delfringer.

"Oh nothing, I was planning on going out since I couldn't sleep, but Louise looks like she's having a nightmare."

Delfringer lifted himself out of the sheath (honestly, how does he do that?) and examined Louise.

"Well, it seems you are right. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, nothing really. In any case, come on – we're going outside."

And with that, using my awesome Metal Gear Solid sneaking skills, I snuck out the door with no problems.

"Man, even with all that talking, she sure can sleep like a baby…" I thought, but I shook these thoughts off. Trying not to wake anyone up, but moving as fast as possible, I flitted down the stairwells, and entered the familiar great hall. I was about to jump down the stairs, when I heard voices. I immediately ducked behind the rails.

"Why are we stuck doing guard duty?" cried out a familiar voice.

"Well, we should keep our guard. Ever since the Fouquet incident, Osman has tried to tighten security," said yet another familiar voice.

I peeked through the rails, and noticed that it was Louise's teacher, Professor Kaita, and Mr. Colbert.

"I know that we should be keeping guard, but why do I have to do this? I took the last shift!"

"It is only because everyone has been busy with both the students and their own affairs. In any case, let's just get this patrol done," said Colbert, lighting his wand with a fire spell. I immediately dropped to the floor, trying to blend in with the stairs.

Luckily for me, they passed on without examining the area. With Kaita's persistence, she was able to convince Colbert to move on to the next area.

"Phew, am I ever lucky." I thought to myself, as I stood up from the stairs. The rest wasn't too much of a big deal. I just followed the corridors and went out to the nearest door.

As soon as I opened the door, the twin moons shone with their silver brilliance and bathed the area in moonlight. Fresh air filled my nose, and I ran outside. I admired the dark star-lit sky, staring up at the two moons, just letting myself enjoy the night.

Enough of that, though; it was time to do some drills.

"So partner, what are we doing outside anyway?" Delfringer asked.

"Well, nothing really. Since I couldn't sleep, I figured I'd lose some steam by practicing for a bit," I said, stretching my limbs. To start things, I jogged around the entire inner premises (which was actually not that large) throwing a few punches and kicks along the way.

"Well, that's enough for a warm-up I guess." I thought to myself. I removed Delfringer from his sheathe, and placed it on the ground, right next to the wall. I then pulled out my leather gloves, and swung Delfringer through the air.

"I guess I'll start off with some shadowing." (NOTE: Shadowing is basic training for martial artists, mostly seen in boxing. You imagine the opponent, and based on their style you imagine what they would do, and counter it, hence shadowing)

I closed my eyes, and felt the familiar warmth envelop me once again. I then imagined Guiche's Valkyrie right in front of me. The image came up, and as it did, it thrust its spear at me. I immediately dodged, and swung Delfringer with all my might. The image, still in my head jumped backwards, and I readied myself for it. I jumped into the air, and threw my whole body forward, Delfringer in hand. As I approached the image, it rolled forward, and tried to stab me. With ninja like flexibility, I dodged the spear by spinning like a torpedo, beheading the Valkyrie.

With a soft plop, I landed quietly on the ground, and stood from my crouched position. I sighed.

"Man, I could really use a sparring partner…" I thought to myself, scratching my head. I sat down on the grass, taking a little break, and was distracted by the night sky.

"Wow, the stars sure are beautiful around here…" I noted. In Canada, it was damn well near impossible to see them around my area.

Suddenly, I heard a loud tripping noise, followed by a scream of surprised and a loud "THUD." I immediately jumped to my feet in surprise and turned.

Louise, still in her sleeping robe, was lying flat on her face.

"Uhh, are you okay?" I called out, walking up to her. She immediately stood, and brushed off her nightgown.

"W-what are you talking about? I'm fine! It was just dark and I couldn't see where I was going," stuttered Louise, who was now desperately trying to hide her face from me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"H-hey, what's so funny?!" she demanded, turning to me again, but I took no heed of her.

"Man, you really need to work on your lying skills. Honestly, it's so bad I'll bet even Guiche's mole could tell." I laughed again, and she turned scarlet. Her eyes started to narrow and I took that as a danger sign. I forced myself to stop laughing and tried to inconspicuously wipe the tears of mirth from my eyes.

"So anyway, what are you doing up so late?"

"I should be asking you that."

"Well, I couldn't sleep.

"Neither could I."

"I see… was it because of your nightmare?" I asked, and she looked at me surprised.

"How did you-"

"Don't bother asking. It was just obvious okay?" I said, plopping myself on the grass again. She followed suit.

There was a silence as we both enjoyed the company of the twin moons.

"Umm, about my nightmare…" she started, but I cut her off.

"You know, you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to," I told her. She looked up at me again with shining eyes, almost as if she wanted to tell me, but she couldn't. And my saying she didn't have to didn't help.

"I don't know where to start…" She mumbled, casting her eyes towards the ground.

"I can't blame you. But like I said, don't talk if you don't want to, because it won't help." She turned to me.

"How do you know that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I mean, talking about something you don't want to talk about? That's stupid!" I said, scowling. She didn't respond, but started playing with a rock that was by her feet.

Another long silence came up, before she finally started talking.

"Michael… About what you said at the dance." She started. Her voice was a bit shaky, but it held strong.

"What did I say at the dance?"

"You know, about you not wanting to go home. Was that true?" She asked me. She looked at me again, and her eyes showed she was scared of my answer.

Man, what the hell…

I didn't respond for a second, only to collect up my thoughts on this.

"Okay… Let me tell you a story. About myself." She gave me a funny look.

"What does that-" she started, but I cut her off.

"Just listen will you?" I said, raising my voice.

She gave me a look that was part puzzled, part offended, but was then silent. I took that as an assent and I took a deep breath.

"Ever since I was young, I hated life because it was too simple. Every single day, every single year, it's the same thing. Wake up, walk around the empty house, look for food, head to school, work, and head home. Always, repeating the same cycle over and over..." I took another breath, and continued.

"I always wished for something interesting to happen. That's because life for me, as simple as it was, wasn't great. At school, out of everyone I knew I received the lowest of the low marks, just slightly above passing grade. I had small talents that I was too scared to share, because whenever I did something he loved, there was always someone who could to it better than I could, drowning my determination. I always felt alone, my family busy with work…"

"Did you have any friends?" replied Louise. I smiled nostalgically.

"Yes, and I loved each and every one of them. They were all wonderful, talented people. They excelled in everything they loved, and I was proud that I could call them my friends; I loved them all from the bottom of my heart. But despite that love, I always felt inferior to them. They did everything they could to help me; they helped me study, they scolded me when I needed it, and gave their time when I asked for it. But all those things they did just made me realize how much better they were than me. I asked myself: Why? Why would they be friends with someone as talentless as me? I never had the courage to ask them."

I paused, letting her take this all in. She nodded, silently telling me to continue.

"Amidst all my friends though, there was one person who stood out from the rest of them. She was also my first real lover in life. She was kind, gentle, and outgoing. I cherished her with all his heart. She was everything to me…" Louise shifted uncomfortably at this.

"Unfortunately, that's what changed everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… Like I said, I loved her deeply. I threw away everything to be with her… My own family and friend's trust, my own morals and beliefs… and in the end… when she left me... I had nothing left."

I sighed again, finally wrapping up my story. I looked at her again, and she was just as puzzled as she was a minute ago.

"I understand where you're going, but why did you throw away everything just for this one girl?"

"Would you throw away everything for protecting the princess?"

She was silent.

"It's the same concept Louise. I loved her with all my heart. She was my everything, and I was ready to throw my life away just for her. Just as much as anyone would throw their life to protect Henrietta, I would have done the same thing for her."

"But why was it necessary? Why throw everything away in the first place?" Louise asked, watching me intently. She didn't understand. Of course she didn't- being raised in a noble family, she was taught about how family and status were the most important values to have. She probably never had to wrestle with the concept of unacceptable love.

"I don't know how to make you understand…" I said slowly. I struggled for an analogy that Louise would be able to sympathize with. "Let's say…Henrietta was-"

"What about me?" came a voice from behind us. Out of reaction we immediately turned, and I swung out Delfringer, instantly ready to fight or flee. Standing behind us was a figure wearing a black hooded cloak, a young woman from the looks of it. Wait a minute…

"You're…" Louise said, shock and disbelief plain on her face.

The girl made a 'shh' gesture with a finger on her mouth, and took out a want from her black cape, lightly waving it while chanting a short spell. Glowing powder glittered around us.

"A silencing spell?" Louise asked. The stranger nodded.

"There might be extra ears and eyes around."

After making sure the area had no magical ears and no peeping holes, she slowly removed her veil.

In front of us stood Princess Henrietta.

Louise frantically and instantly went down on her knees.

"Princess Henrietta!" she gasped in surprise. I merely stood there, wondering how the hell she got here.

The princess smiled gently.

"It has been a while, Vallière."

k that's the end of that chapter. Sorry for the no update again, school really is catching up on me so I will now be updating every 3 weeks from now until summer or whenever I'm free.

And to be honest I had a lot of trouble writing this fanfic, so much I just ended it where I didn't want it to.

Sorry again, and REVIEW!

~CXP

PS: Thanks to Chocofreakazoid and FanimeScribbler for editing this fanfic. Couldn't have done it without you.


	10. A request from an old friend

Change my Destiny Chapter 10: A request from an Old Friend

Alright guys, its time for that update again. Sorry again for the wait, but here you go! Also, I won't be updating again for another time. Dunno how long but for sure i'll be up fanficing in the middle of june, sometime after i'm done my exams so...  
I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, the anime the novels or the references I use.

~CXP

---

They say that a friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. To be honest though, I completely agree with this.

…

Although, asking random requests out of the blue are hard to consider. I thought  
this to myself, as we stirred up in Louise's room, discussing everything there. Princess Henrietta, as cute as she could be looked like she had been overcome with emotion, and hugged Louise with all her might. I could see Louise's petite figure being crushed under her long, slender arms.

"Oh, Louise, Louise, my dear Louise!" she wailed out loud, tears springing in her eyes.

You're getting a bit too emotional you know…

"This won't do, your Highness. Coming to a humble place like this..." Louise humbly replied to her actions. She tried to push the now tear eyed princess with no avail.

"Oh! Louise! Louise Françoise! Please stop acting so formally! You and I are friends! We are friends, are we not?"

"I am not worthy of such kind words. Your Highness." Louise replied with a steely, strained voice. I thought of a way to break them apart, but no idea's came into my head at the moment.

"Stop that, please! Neither the Cardinal, my Mother, nor those greedy court aristocrats who buzz around wearing friendly faces are here! Oh, don't I have any friends who will open up to me? If even Louise Françoise, my old friend whom I've missed dearly, acts so distant, I would just die!"

These moments of time remind me of those cliché "Damsel in distress" moments. Although that may be the case, I myself have never witnessed something such as this. It's probably because I always confine myself in my room. Yeah, that's probably it…

"Your Highness..." Louise replied. She looked at me, as if yearning for me to give her an answer. I could do nothing but put up my empty hands, and grimace.

Louise turned her face to the princess.

"When we were little children, didn't we get together and chase butterflies at the palace courtyard? And got all muddy?" With a shy face, Louise answered.

"Yes, and La Porte the chamberlain told us off for getting our clothes so dirty."

"Yes! That's right, Louise! We were arguing over those puffy cream cakes, and ended up having a real scuffle! Oh, whenever we fought, it was me who always lost. You would grab my hair, and I'd just start crying."

"Not at all, the princess had her victory on at least one occasion." Louise said, looking sentimental. I almost laughed, but turned away and held it in.

"You remembered! Looking at the two of us, one could call that battle the Siege of Amiens!"

"That was when we were fighting over a dress in the princess' bedroom, wasn't it?"

"Yes, in the middle of our 'Make-Believe Royal Court', we ended up fighting over who would play the princess! And it was my blow to your stomach, Louise Françoise, that successfully decided it."

"I'd fainted in the presence of the princess."

After that, the two of them exchanged glances and broke out in laughter. I on the other hand, just kept watching them in a blank state, pretending to listen. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation though. I must say though, the princess may have looked like a lady, but she was actually a tomboy. Looks truly can be deceiving…

"That's more like it. Louise. Ah, I'm getting so nostalgic, tears are coming out." Said the princess, wiping her eyes. I just stared at the two as they chatted, and soon a long silence came up.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Now what…

Louise luckily for me broke the silence.

"I am deeply moved, that the princess would remember such things... I thought you'd already forgotten about me…" Louise spoke. There was another silence, and the princess looked a bit depressed, so I decided to think of something to say.

But wait… What the hell do I say? In any case, I have to think of something fast…

"Well, remembering is a way of holding the things you love. It holds the things you are, and the things you never want to lose. So why would she forget?" I replied. Louise was ready to reprimand me again, but I knew she wouldn't; Not in the Princess' presence.

The princess gave me a light smile as if thanking me, and sat down on the bed.

"Michael is right. How could I forget? During those times, every day was fun. There was nothing at all to worry about."

I noticed a deep sadness in her voice. I looked at Louise, but she paid no attention to me; She noticed it too.

"Princess?" Louise said with worry as she peered into Henrietta's face.

"How I envy you. Freedom is such a wonderful thing, Louise Françoise." She sighed.

What does freedom have to do with anything?

Wait; if this is another one of those "Damsel in Distress" cliché's, this is the part where she explains she has almost no freedom whatsoever.

"What are you saying? You're the Royal Princess, are you not?"

"A princess born in her kingdom is like a bird being raised in a cage. You go here and there on your master's every whim..." Henrietta said, looking lonely as she gazed at the moon outside the window.

Bingo.

She then held Louise's hands and gave a sweet smile before speaking.

"I... I'm getting married." She mumbled. Louise gasped and covered her mouth, and I raised my eyes in interest.

"You have my congratulations." Louise Replied in a subdued voice. I took this moment to examine her face. She looked a bit depressed, as though she was jealous of her.

It was at that moment that Henrietta, looked like she had just found out her missing father was alive and well. Did he figure something out or what?

"Oh, forgive me. Was I intruding?"

"Intruding? Intruding what?" Louise asked.

"Well, isn't he your lover?

I suddenly choked on my own spit, and I struggled to gasp for air. Louise, like always turned a deep scarlet. The princess' mouth gaped open wide.

"Oh no! It seems I was so caught up reminiscing that I didn't realize my blunder!"

" Lover? That creature!?" Louise cried. I just had a very deep conversation with Louise, and that's all she could say? At least call me a person for god's sake!

"Stop calling me that. Its really annoying you know." I growled, and I plopped myself on a chair across from them, trying to hide my disappointment.

"Princess! That's just my familiar! Don't even joke about it being my lover!" Louise shook her head wildly, denying Henrietta's words.

"I see…" She replied, a bit surprised at that. Well, I would be too. I mean, after living with her for about what seemed like months now, you think she would have had some change of heart…

But what was even more bothersome was by how hard Louise had denied we were lovers. Even though that really was the case, it hurt all the same.

_In any case... I'm just her damn puppet._

Painful memories of loss swirled my head.

Suddenly, a great weight pressed on my shoulder, and I placed my head on the table. Sheesh, as much as I hate to say it I really thought there was something between us. Looks like its just wishful thinking after all…

"Oh, Louise Françoise, you may have changed since our younger days, but you are still quite the same."

That was a big oxymoron right there…

Henrietta then gave off another sigh.

"Princess, what's wrong?" I asked.

"No, it's nothing. Forgive me, oh; I'm so ashamed of myself. It's not something I should tell you… but I am just so..."

"Please tell us. What troubles are they that causes the princess, as cheerful as she is, to sigh like this?" asked a troubled Louise. I nodded in response, but the princess shook her head.

"No, I cannot tell you. Please forget I said anything. Louise, Michael."

"But-" Louise started, but I cut her off.

"Louise, come on leave her alone. If she doesn't want to talk about it then she doesn't have to.

"I will not! Didn't we use to talk about everything? The princess was the one who had called me a friend. Won't you share your worries with your friend?"

"She's my friend too, but what did I just say earlier?" I growled again. She forgot already…

I turned to Henrietta, who gave us cheerful-looking smile.

"You've called me a friend Louise, Michael. That makes me so happy." She said gleefully as she wiped her teary eyes again. I was ready to ask her another question, when Louise cut in again.

"Please, Princess Henrietta. Tell us you're troubles. Not as a Princess and a counselor, but as friends." She pleaded.

Man, it was one of those rare times when I see Louise with those kinds of eyes.

Henrietta nodded her head in determination, and began to talk.

"You must not speak to anyone about what I am about to tell you now."

After that, she gave a quick glance in my direction.

"I'll be outside…" I said, getting up.

Henrietta shook her head.

"A mage and her familiar are as one. I see no reason for you to leave."

With a soft, trembling voice Henrietta started talking.

"I am to marry the Emperor of Germania..."

"Germania, you say?! That country of barbaric upstarts?!"" Louise spoke out in astonishment.

Wait wait wait what

Germania, as in Germany? Oh no we aren't gonna have another Hilter are we?!

"Yes. But it can't be helped. It must be done to solidify our alliance." Henrietta explained the politics of Halkeginia to Louise.

"There was an insurrection among the nobles of Albion, and it looked like the Royal Family would soon be overthrown. If the rebels won, then the next thing would be the invasion of Tristein. To defend against this, Tristein was looking to form an alliance with Germania. For the alliance's sake, it was decided that Princess Henrietta would be married into the Germanian Imperial Family..."

"So that's why..." Louise said with a depressed voice. It was clear from Henrietta's tone that she did not desire this wedding. Well, I couldn't blame her. After all, arranged marriages suck the most.

"It is alright. Louise, I have long since abandoned the notion of marrying the one whom I love."

"Princess..." Louise mumbled.

"Those two-faced Albion nobles do not want Tristein and Germania to become allies. Two arrows are easier to break when they are not tied together." Henrietta murmured.

"Therefore, they have been searching frantically for anything that would interfere with the marriage."

"I'm guessing they found something...?" I asked.

Henrietta gave a regretful nod.

To be honest, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about. This alliance or Albion, but in any case, it seemed like a pain in the ass for both of them.

"Oh, Founder Brimir... please save this unfortunate princess..." Henrietta covered her face with her hands, and sank onto the bed. In my entire life, I honestly have never seen so much drama. Sure, I watched Japanese dramas and stuff, but like this was way out there.

"Tell me, please! Princess! Just what is it that could interfere with the Princess' wedding?" Louise, like she had also been infected, rattled off with an agitated look. With both hands still on her face, Henrietta looked like she was in pain as she began muttering.

"It is a letter that I had written some time ago." she whispered.

"A letter?" I asked.

"Yes. If those Albion nobles get their hands on it... they would probably send it forward to the Germanian Imperial Family as soon as they could."

"What kind of letter could that be?"

"That I cannot tell you. But if the Germanian Imperial Family were to read it... they would never forgive me. The marriage will fall through, and with it, the alliance with Tristein. Then Tristein would stand alone against the strength of Albion."

Louise gave a gasp and seized Henrietta's hands.

"Where would that letter be? The letter that would bring crisis to Tristein!"

Henrietta shook her head.

"It is not with us. The truth of the matter is, it is already in Albion."

"Albion!? So its in enemy hands already? If it is, why come here?" I asked.

"No... the one who holds the letter is not with the rebels of Albion. As the conflict between the rebels and his kinsmen unfolded, Prince Wales of the Royal Family..."

"The Prince Wales? The Prince Valiant?" Louise replied with shock.

Prince Wales? Honestly, for a prince that seems kind of stupid. I mean come on. Marth was a better name...

Henrietta bent back and laid herself down on the bed.

"Oh, it's a disaster! Sooner or later, Prince Wales will fall captive to the rebels, and when that happens the letter will come to light! And everything would be ruined! Ruined! Without an alliance, Tristein would have to take on Albion by itself!"

I could practically feel Louise holding her breath.

"Then princess, the favor that you're asking of us..." I mumbled.

"Impossible! It's impossible, Louise! How could I be so terrible? It's all so confusing! When I think about it, I couldn't ask you to do such a dangerous thing as to go to Albion while this conflict between the nobles and the royalists is unfolding!"

"What are you saying? Be it the kettles of hell, or into the jaws of a dragon, if it's for the Princess' sake, I'd go anywhere! There is no way the third daughter of the House of la Vallière, Louise Françoise, could overlook such a crisis for the Princess and Tristein!" she cried fervently, kneeling down.

"I Agree princess. For your sake we would be willing to risk our lives for you. Please don't worry, I'll make sure we come back alive." I said triumphantly.

"Please leave this matter to us, the ones who has captured Fouquet." Louse cried.

"Hey, what the hell are you talking about? That was me Dammit!"

"You're my familiar."

"To hell with that."

"A familiar's achievement is it's master's achievement." Louise said with perfect confidence.

"And a familiar's mistake?"

"That would be your mistake, wouldn't it?"

"No it wouldn't because if it was my mistake it would be yours as well!"

"How would a lowly familiar's mistake-."

"It would be yours because you couldn't properly take care of me! Being stuck up as you are, I bet you wouldn't last 5 seconds without me!" I yelled, standing up.

The tension was high between us, But Henrietta calmed us down.

"Please, this isn't the time to be fighting you two!" She scolded us. I sat down again, and Louise hid her scarlet painted face.

I sighed, calming myself down.

"In any case, we'll help you princess.

The princess covered her face again.

"Oh Louise Françoise, Michael! You are such dear friends!"

"Of course Princess!" Louise replied.

"Well, its what I- I mean, WE do." I said, adding that hint of distaste. Louise shot me a cold stare, but I paid no attention to it.

Louise then grasped Henrietta's hands, and as the former spoke heatedly, the latter gave in and started crying.

"Princess! I, Louise, forever friend of the Princess, will be your confidante! Have you forgotten my vow of eternal loyalty?"

Louse? Eternal Loyalty? My ass.

"Louise. Sorry to bother you while you're reaffirming your friendship and everything but..."

"But What?"

"Going to Albion in the middle of a war is fine, but what use are you gonna be?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she cried.

"Think about it Louise. This is enemy territory. This is not some fancy little fairy tale where everything will go right! You can't use magic properly, and I can't always protect you. Look what happened with Fouquet! If it weren't for me and my powers you guys would be dead!"

Finished with a loud huff, I lowered my head gloomily. Louise growled at me, but I didn't care.

Come to think of it, I haven't talked about the Legendary Familiar Gandalf's rune that had appeared on the back of my hand yet. I scoffed inside.

_Legendary my ass. She still treats me like a dog._

"So this is the plan: We go to Albion, find the Crown Prince of Wales, and get the letter back, right Princess?"

"Yes, that is correct. I feel confident that you, the ones who have caught Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth, should be able to accomplish this difficult mission."

"What are the circumstances?"

"I've heard that the nobles of Albion have managed to drive the royalists into a corner of the country. It will just be a matter of time before they are defeated."

Louise's face suddenly looked serious as she returned from her cold stare.

"Then tomorrow, we shall depart."

Suddenly after that, Henrietta turned her gaze towards my. I felt my heart skip a beat. Though Louise was also foolishly lovely and neat, Princess Henrietta was so beautiful that I almost fell. Her millet-colored hair, trimmed right above her eyebrows, was swimming gracefully. Her blue eyes shone brilliantly like the southern seas.

White skin, on which floated a feeling of purity, a nose like a priceless and finely shaped sculpture...

I caught myself staring at Henrietta as if I was in a trance. Louise, once again returned to her chilly gaze. It didn't seem like she was in a good mood.

Well, after what I just said, who would?

Louise looked away from me with a loud "Hmph". I decided to turn away as well.

Yeah that's right, screw you.

What I found surprised, was Henrietta didn't notice the subtle exchange between us, and she began speaking in a cheerful voice.

"Oh dependable familiar of Louise."

Damn right I'm dependable.

"What is it Princess?"

"Please keep taking care of my most precious friend."

And then she gently held out her hand. A handshake? But wait; the back of her hand was turned upwards.

You can't be serious…!

"That won't do! Princess! To offer your hand to a familiar!" Louise spoke up with an astonished voice.

"It is alright. This person will be acting for my sake, and without a reward, I won't have his loyalty."

"Uhh..." I started, but Henrietta cut me off.

"Offering a hand? The way someone does to a dog? Is that how you treat your dogs?"

I face palmed at this.

Henrietta then smiled sweetly at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. His smile appeared business-like to other people, but really, I was thinking I'd_ love to_. To be liked by such a princess wouldn't be half bad.

I grinned deliberately at Louise, who muttered under her breath and turned her face away. I then took her had, and kissed it lightly, grinning the whole time. Louise didn't look our way either.

"Loyalty must be rewarded, after all."

Henrietta bowed her head.

At that time, the door slammed open and someone came flying in.

"You! The princess! What do you think you're doing?!"

Well look at what we have here. It's Guiche, with that rose still in his hand.

Seriously, you think it would have died by now…

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Guiche! You! Were you eavesdropping? Did you hear our conversation just now?!" Louise cried in surprise.

"Well, I don't think he did, since Henrietta put that sound spell."

Guiche, however, didn't answer the pair's questions and just stood in a daze.

"For my hunt of the rose-like, lovely princess bringing me to this place... and then seeing a theft, so to speak, occur through the door's keyhole... that idiot commoner taking a kiss...." Guiche flourished his imitation rose and cried.

"Duel with me! You scoundrel!"

"Bring it!"

I sprang up and thrusted a kick into Guiche's face.

"Agah!"

Wasting no time I picked up Guiche, who had fallen to the floor, punched him in the gut then threw him over my shoulder. He hit the ground with a loud THUD, and I sat on him, putting him in a sleeper hold.

"Th-that's not fair!!"

"So, what do we do now? Oh, I have an idea! This guy overheard the princess' story, so lets bring out the guillotine!"

"That's too much... it's really too bad he had to hear our conversation just now... Lets hang him instead." Louise mumbled.

Guiche's face started to turn blue. Feeling sorry for the guy, I loosed my grip and let him go. He immediately stood up, breathing frantically.

"Your Highness! By all means, please appoint me, Guiche de Gramont, to this difficult mission."

"You? Please, spare me. Instead, why don't you shut up?" I said, immediately swiping Guiche's legs. Guiche fell down gaudily, into a kneeling position.

"Let me join your group!" Guiche yelped as he collapsed.

"Why?" Louise asked.

Guiche's face reddened.

"I wish to be of use to Her Highness..."

I immediately sensed something from Guiche's appearance. Ah, so that's how it is…

"You can't be serious. Are you in love with the princess? What about Montmorency?" I cried in surprise. Louise stumbled at this, but the princess said nothing.

"Don't say such rude things. I am absolutely, just wanting to be of use to Her Highness."

However, Guiche's face was burning intensely as he said this. Telling by the passionate look he was giving Henrietta, he was certainly under her charm.

Well, I can' blame him…

"But you have Montmorency, so what's going on?"

But Guiche was silent.

_Typical…_

"So you got dumped eh?"

"Q-quiet! It was all your fault!"

"Well, that's what you get Guiche the oh so mighty Gramont!" I said sarcastically.

"Gramont? Ah, of General Gramont?" replied the princess. Henrietta then fixed her eyes on Guiche's vacantly looking face.

"I am his son, Your Highness." Said Guiche as he stood up and gave a reverent bow.

"Are you also saying that you wish to help me?"

"It would be an unexpected blessing for me if I were to become a part of that mission."

Henrietta smiled at Guiche's enthusiastic expression.

"Thank you. Your father is a great, brave noble, and it seems you have inherited his blood. Then, please. Would you help this unfortunate princess, Sir Guiche?"

"Her Highness has called my name! Her Highness! Tristein's lovely flower has smiled her rosy smile at me!"

Guiche, having felt too much excitement, fell on his back in a faint.

"Is he alright?" asked the Princess. Louise shook her head, and I face palmed.

Deciding to have some fun, I poked at Guiche. Louise paid no mind to the disturbance and spoke in a serious voice.

"Well then, tomorrow morning, we shall depart for Albion."

"We have heard that Prince Wales has set up camp somewhere around New Castle in Albion." The princess replied, and she nodded in response while I stood.

"Understood. I've traveled through Albion with my sisters before, so I'm familiar with the geography."

So she was smart with geography, but not magic? Her family must be a bunch of nerds…

"It will be a perilous journey. If the nobles of Albion discover your mission, they will do everything in their power to get in your way."

Henrietta sat at the desk again and, with Louise's feather quill and some parchment, wrote a letter out.

Henrietta quietly gazed at the letter she had written herself, before she began shaking her head sadly.

"Princess? What's the matter?" Louise called out

Thinking something was up; I decided not to say anything.

"I-it's nothing."

Henrietta blushed, gave a nod as if she had settled on something. She then added another line at the end. After that, she murmured in a soft voice.

"Founder Brimir... Please forgive this selfish princess. Even though my country is in distress, I cannot help but write this one sentence... I cannot lie about my own feelings..."

Henrietta's facial expression made it seem like she had written a love-letter rather than a secret message. Louise and I couldn't say anything more, and just looked at Henrietta quietly.

Henrietta rolled up the letter she had written. She waved her staff. Out of nowhere, sealing wax appeared on the rolled-up letter, and a seal pressed down on it. Then she handed the letter over to Louise.

"When you meet the Crown Prince Wales, please pass this letter to him. He should then return the letter in question immediately."

After that, Henrietta removed a ring from the ring finger on her right hand, and gave it to Louise.

"Is that a sapphire?" I asked.

"This is a Water Ruby that I had received from my mother. It should work as a good-luck charm, at least. If you have any money concerns, please sell this to get some travel funds."

Louise bowed her head in silence.

"I have one last request."

I raised an eyebrow at this. Another one? Just how much does she want us to do?

"I Want you to go to see the holy spirit of water." The Princess said.

"The Holy spirit of water?" Louise gasped. Must be something special.

"Yes. There have been reports of mages attacking the Water Spirit. I would like to find out who. I will send you an escort, so that there won't be too much trouble."

I Grinned at this.

""Heh, alright, some action. No problem princess, we'll get it done in no time."

---

And that's the end of that's chapter. Thanks again for reading. I'm sorry if it's been a bit boring lately, but I'm trying to cope up with it. Don't worry; the battles later on will be as intense. I already have them planned out, so be ready for some action. Thanks again.  
~ChaosxPaladin


	11. RE: Meeting the Water Spirit

Chapter 11: RE: Meeting the Water Spirit

Fixed the text errors, changed some dialogue. Nothing big.

I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, or the references I use.

Although it was the crack of dawn, Louise, Guiche and I had already started preparing the saddles for our horses. Usually, riding on horseback was no problem for me. But with all the stuff we had, I really wondered how the horses were gonna cope up with the weight.

I noticed Louise had changed her standard small black shoes in favour of long, leathery brown horse riding boots. Was the journey from here to there going to be that long?

Great… Just great.

As I inwardly complained on the subject, Guiche broke my chain of thought.

"I have a request," he said rather formally. His expression was as pompous as usual despite his polite tone.

"What is it?" Louise said rather impatiently, finishing strapping her belongings to her horse. She turned to face him with that almost childish frown on her face, her arms crossed.

"I wish to bring my familiar along."

"Your familiar? You mean that bizarre mole thing?" I asked, slightly mockingly. I relished the look of indignation that flashed across his face.

"H-how dare you, a mere commoner, speak so rudely about my sweet Belldandy!" Guiche cried huffily.

Louise looked from me to Guiche, frowning still.

"Where's your familiar now?" she asked brusquely.

"Here," Guiche replied while pointing to the ground.

"But there's nothing there," objected Louise irritably.

Guiche responded with a little pretentious _hmph_, before gently tapping his foot on the ground. The bit of earth where he tapped shook slightly and a few moments later, broke open to reveal the giant brown mole.

"Belldandy! Oh my precious Belldandy!" Guiche cried dramatically before kneeling down to hug his "Sweet, sweet Belldandy."

"Ah... Belldandy, you look so cute from any angle I look. Have you eaten your meal of earthworms before you arrived here?"

The gigantic mole hummed contentedly in response.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Guiche said while affectionately rubbing cheek against his familiar. The sight was absolutely disgusting.

"So, if it's coming along with us, how are we gonna bring it with us?" I asked.

"Don't call Belldandy "it" as if she's inferior to you!" said Guiche contemptuously, throwing a disdainful look at me. "Or have you forgotten you're a familiar too?" He stood up, his hand reaching for his wand.

As I opened my mouth to retort, Louise rounded on both of us.

"IDIOTS! Stop arguing! We have an important mission to do and your useless bickering is only slowing us down!" Her face was red with fury. She took a breath, and then said, "Your familiar cannot accompany us."

"Why not? She can simply follow us by tunneling underground. She won't be a burden at all! Am I right, Belldandy?" The gigantic mole nodded in agreement.

"But we're going to Albion! We can't bring creatures that move underground!" Louise explained.

Guiche, upon hearing that, knelt down and tremulously embraced Belldandy yet again, much like a child who could not bear to be parted with his favorite toy. "I cannot be separated from my sweet, sweet Belldandy... Oh! The pain! The loneliness!"

"Sheesh, stop being so melodramatic will you? If you can't stand being away from IT, then don't come!" I said rudely. Guiche rose in protest, before the giant mole seemed to pick up some scent from its nose…

And drew nearer and nearer to Louise.

"What is this stupid mole trying to do?" she said wearing a rather alarmed expression, backing away while trying to shoo away Belldandy.

"Heh, looks like this thing is similar to Guiche; they both like girls," I laughed.

"Stop! Stop this right now!" Louise yelled out in disgust. The giant mole knocked Louise off her feet and started sniffing all over her.

"AAH! Watch where you're sniffing! Stop it! Stupid beast!"

Belldandy continued to prod at a very unhappy Louise with her large nose. Louise struggled and rolled over, away from the mole and disheveling her neat clothing at the same time. I even caught a glimpse of her underwear as she scrambled away.

"Ah... How beautiful is the scene of a lovely mole teasing the damsel." Guiche replied to the situation. "How endearing it is, to hear her helplessly cry for help!"

"I totally agree." We laughed.

"Stop blabbering nonsense over here, you oafs! Come over and help me quickly! Control your familiar Guiche!" She scowled, stood up, her wand pointed at the pair of us. Uh oh… _please _don't blow us up…

Suddenly, Belldandy lunged for her hand.

"Get away! This ring was bestowed upon me by her Highness!" I looked to see the exquisite ring the Princess had entrusted to her was glistening on her finger.

"Oh, no wonder she's attracted to you. It's the ring. Belldandy loves jewels," said Guiche, eyeing the ring with interest.

"Such an irritating pest!"

"Don't call my Belldandy an irritating pest! It's for me that she searches for precious stones and jewels. For an Earth magician, there's nothing more helpful than her."

Just as Louise was on the verge of exploding with anger, a sudden gust of wind came out of nowhere and blew away Belldandy.

"What the hell?" I cried out in surprise, immediately unsheathing Delfringer.

"Who dares to attack my familiar!" Guiche roared furiously. Looks like he can get mad too sometimes…

Suddenly, a tall, willowy noble garbed in a feathered hat and long flowing cape appeared out of the faint daylight behind him. (What kind of head gear _is_ that? Seriously, I knew this era was a bit behind from my time but isn't that hat from the renaissance?)

"What have you done to my Belldandy!"

Guiche quickly whipped out his rose wand but the noble wearing the feathered hat was faster. Before Guiche could cast any spell, his wand was already out of his hand.

_He__'__s pretty fast_… I thought, before the figure interrupted my thoughts.

"I am not your enemy. I am under the orders of her Highness to accompany you on your journey. The Princess is worried about just having you going to Albion without sufficient protection, but then again sending a whole battalion of soldiers with you will be far too conspicuous. Thus, I was ordered to guard you." The noble said while taking off his feather cap and bowing.

"Captain of the Griffin Squad, Viscount Wardes, at your service."

The grumbling Guiche quickly became quiet, his face turning stark white.

"The what?" I asked, feeling rather stupid. Louise looked appalled (probably because I sounded disrespectful) while Guiche looked amazed at my ignorance.

"You don't know what the Griffin Squad is? To join is a noble's dream! They are the elite of the elite mages, the best of the best!" Guiche said with a mixture of awe, envy, obviously for Wades, and scorn directed at me.

Wardes then interrupted us, as if trying to prevent us from fighting.

"Sorry about your familiar. But I could not stand by watching while my fiancée was being harassed."

My head snapped towards Wardes, my eyes practically popping out of my head. I stared from Louise, who looked faintly embarrassed, to Wardes.

"What?" I blurted out.

"Fiancée?" Guiche yelped with equal surprise.

This guy is supposed to be Louise's Fiancée? Seriously?

"Viscount..." Louise spoke in a trembling voice after standing up.

"It's been such a long time. My Louise, my dear Louise."

_My Louise? You gotta be shitting me!_

Wardes the approached Louise and with a beaming smile on his face, and gently lifted Louise up in his arms.

"It's really been such a long time," Louise said, blushing deeply. She avoided eye contact with me, but luckily Wardes and Guiche didn't notice.

"Still as light as ever. Just like a feather."

You could say that again…

"Viscount... please don't be like this... There are people over here..."

Wardes, who placed Louise back down and replaced his hat said, "Care to introduce your companions to me?"

"Umm... this is Guiche de Gramont and that idiot over there is my familiar, Michael," said Louise, pointing at each Guiche and then me as she introduced us. Guiche bowed deeply, and gazed at him admiringly. I on the other hand, struggled to keep calm. Louise is engaged? Seriously?

"Louise's familiar? This is the first time I've seen a human summoned as a familiar," said Wardes with a rather surprised look on his face. He firmly grasped my hand.

"Thank you for taking care of my Fiancée." Despite his words, he looked down upon me coldly.

"Hmph. It's what I do."

I took this time to examine Wardes. He had long gray hair, mustache and beard, and was about five foot nine inches tall. His cold gray eyes were as keen and sharp as those of an eagle. I didn't really understand how Louise would marry such a guy…

Seriously, what is up with people and long mustaches?

Well, I suppose it is probably an arranged engagement. I gave off a deep and long sigh. Then, I felt someone pat my shoulder sympathetically.

"What's wrong? Are you having doubts about this trip? There's nothing to be afraid of! Aren't you the one who caught Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth? I'm sure you'll be fine," said Wardes, giving me a broad smile.

_Ugh, as much as I hate to admit it, this guy is pretty decent … it seems like he's kind, but judging from the way he attacked Belldandy, this guy has some skill and isn't someone you can mess with. In spite of everything…I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about him…_

Wardes then whistled and a griffin appeared out from the morning clouds. True to the legends, it had the head and talons of an eagle and a body of a lion. On its back were two mammoth grey-feathered wings. It turned one fierce eye in my direction and I wondered if Buckbeak looked anything like this.

Wardes had climbed to the back of the griffin with practiced grace, and then extended his hand to Louise.

"Come join me, my Louise."

Louise lowered her head, hesitant and bashful, just like a girl in love. God Dammit, I can't help but feel… jealous.

_What does he think he's doing? "Come join me, my Louise?" Your Louise! _Your _Louise! Damn it… Just thinking about it makes me wanna…_

Wardes gently lifted Louise, who was still hesitating, up onto the griffin's back. His arms were wrapped around her protectively.

With one hand on the reins and his wand in the other, Wardes shouted, "Our first destination will be Lagdorian Lake. There have been reports of people attacking the Holy Spirit of Water, so the Princess requested that we look into it."

Upon hearing that, I looked up at the sky.

"All right then, enough standing. Let's Go!"

After a long, aching horse ride (To be exact, half the day…) we finally reached the forest, which led to this Lagdorian Lake. I examined the scenery, expecting some huge Lake Ontario like body of water, but what we discovered was more than I bargained for.

"The houses are all flooded!" Louise cried out in surprise.

"But why?" I murmured softly, wondering just what was going on. I looked at Wardes, as if he knew the answer. He looked quite surprised himself but not quite the same as the rest of us… maybe I'm just imagining it.

"I will scout the area and see if I can find any information. You three wait here and see if you can find the attackers," Wardes commanded, before walking off.

Wait a second… He wasn't going to take Louise, even after that introduction earlier? I mean, it's not like I'm complaining or anything but isn't that a little contradictory? What the hell is up with him?

I looked at Louise, who shrugged. Guiche was still gaping over the water and was more or less useless at any rate.

With nothing better to do, we waited.

By sundown, Wardes was still not back from his little scouting mission, and I started to wonder if he had abandoned us.

"Dammit, I'm getting tired of waiting!" I yelled out of frustration and boredom. Honestly… nothing was happening and we didn't even have news of what was going to happen.

"Be quiet! We have to be patient. If what Wardes told me during the trip was correct, the mages should be coming now," Louise scolded. But she too seemed worried.

"They must be great mages to be able to fight the Holy Water Spirit… I'm guessing they're wind mages," Guiche said.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"Well, if they are wind mages, they could make an air bubble and proceed to the bottom of the lake. Surely, these are great mages, to anger the Holy Water Spirit and live…"

"Well, that explains a lot… But still, I can't help but-" I started, but Louise cut me off.

"Be quiet! Someone is here!"

We all immediately became quiet. On queue, three figures stepped out into the forest moonlight. Due to the darkness I couldn't see them very well, but the three figures seemed to be wearing black cloaks. One was a tall mage, followed by two shorter ones. The shortest had a staff as tall as him/her.

As dark as it was, why did that staff seem so familiar…?

"It looks like they're chanting…" Louise whispered to us. Guiche and I nodded in agreement.

I immediately grinned at this. They're chanting huh? It seems they don't know we are here, so we have the element of surprise…

"You guys wait here. I'm going to sneak attack them while they're defenseless."

"Michael, wait -" hissed Louise but I had already stalked off. Using the darkness and the bushes, I weaved my way closer to our unsuspecting culprits.

_Time to die,_ I thought, unsheathing my hidden blade.

I stood up; ready to jump out before a heavy weight pulled me back down. I immediately turned, trying not to make too much noise.

"Guiche? What are you doing?" I whispered in surprise.

"Just wait a minute, Michael! Our opponents are great mages. We won't win if we attack head on."

"Who the hell said I was gonna attack head on? I was sneaking in from behind!"

"Well…" Guiche started, but his eyes lit up.

"What is it? Do you have a plan?"

"Yes. I will distract them by using my magic. Meanwhile, you attack them from behind," he whispered triumphantly, apparently much pleased with himself.

I face palmed.

"You idiot! That's what I was gonna do! Attack them from behind while they were busy casting that spell!"

"I want to participate! Besides, it's better if you don't do this alone," snapped Guiche.

"Argh, it doesn't matter now. Let's just do this…" I growled, positioning myself closer to them. I drew out Delfringer. Guiche raised his rose wand.

I personally thought Guiche's strategy was ridiculous… although thinking about this makes me realize my plan and his plan are practically the same with one minor difference; Guiche serves as a distraction. As much of a mage he is, he isn't that great. Also, if these were actually "Great Mages" as he put it, he wouldn't stand a chance. Still, let's see what he'll do…

Guiche positioned himself opposite of our hooded guests, and started chanting a spell. Suddenly, the floor rose out of the ground, and raced forward.

It looked like he's learned some new tricks, seeing as he didn't use that when we fought.

The three figures turned so fast, I wondered if they had known we were there all along. The short one with the tall staff immediately cast out a tornado. Yep - they were wind mages, alright.

Guiche, decidedly rattled, tried again. This time, the tall mage attacked, with fire this time.

Wait; that mage planned on using fire magic… UNDERWATER?

Guiche attacked yet again, but this time it was the other mage. She used an ice spell to knock Guiche's away. A water mage.

Guiche clenched his teeth, frustrated by the mages, and then launched another series of attacks. Unfortunately, I could see it was no use. The three kept alternating between attacks, countering every spell Guiche threw at them.

"Now's your chance, partner!" Delfringer whispered, and I leapt into action. I dashed as fast as I could, trying to lessen the distance between us.

The fire mage suddenly turned to face me and shot a ball of fire at me. The mage was so fast that I attempted to jump over it. The heat of the fire ever so slightly grazed the side of shin, burning the skin on it.

"Holy shit that hurt!"

Just as they did with Guiche, they alternated their attacks. In rapid succession I loosened Delfringer's scarf and threw him into the ground, sending him halfway in. Just as the water mage fired a fleet of icicles at me, I pulled myself towards the ground, just as the ice was about to hit me.

A loud tearing noise filled the air, and I looked down to find a magnificent tear on my shirt. Shit! And it was my only one too!

Pissed, I yanked Delfringer out of the ground. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I rushed forward again.

What the mages did next really got me.

Instead of alternating like I expected, the three pulled off a unison attack. Mixing their fire, water and wind elements it made a huge steaming tornado.

The problem was that I was right in front of them.

Out of instinct, I lifted up Delfringer and blocked the spell. I felt the force of the spells pushing me back. I jammed my feet deep into the dirt, trying to hold my ground but it was no use. I was getting pushed farther. Also, the wound on my leg didn't help.

"God… Dammit…!" What the hell, were they planning to do that?

As these thoughts swarmed through my head, I desperately tried to think a way out. My eye's unconsciously wandered, and I saw Louise and Guiche…

Just standing there.

"WHAT THE HELL GUY'S, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, HELP ME!" I roared out in anger. Why the hell were they just standing there? Without warning, a wind spell from another direction launched itself at our attackers. In a flash, they cancelled the spell and jumped away, and I dropped down to the ground exhausted. As I did, I wondered; who fired that spell?

"Phew, that was dangerous." Spoke out a familiar voice. I turned. Wardes.

"Well it's about time you showed up. What took you so long?" I asked angrily. Wardes stretched out a hand towards me, and I unwillingly took it.

"I was down at the shelter where the villagers are. It was across from here, but as you can see we could not cross so I had to fly over. The water covers some distance so it took some time," Wardes explained, smiling all the while.

"Oh really…" I started, but Louise and Guiche ran towards us.

"Michael, Wardes! Are you alright?" Louise asked, worried.

"Well, I would have been fine if you did something I like to call… HELP?" I yelled in frustration.

Louise was about to protest, but a familiar voice came from our attackers.

"Wait a minute, did she say Michael?" One cried out.

"It seems like she did." Said the other.

I turned and blanched when I saw whom exactly I had been fighting.

"K-Kirche! Montmorency! Tabitha!" I yelled in surprise as they removed their hoods. Louise and Guiche rushed forward.

"What are you doing here?" Louise demanded.

"We should be asking you that! Weren't you the one that fired that spell?" Kirche protested.

"We asked you first," I countered, and Kirche sighed.

"We were asked by Tabitha's family to defeat the Holy Spirit of Water. The water level keeps rising and their land is having difficulty. If we don't, Tabitha will be in trouble…"

We nodded in response.

"So you have your own reason too…" mumbled Guiche.

We were silent for a moment, and I decided to break the silence.

"Well, anyway we need to meet this water spirit. Does anyone know any way to bring her out?" I asked turning towards the others.

"I will be tending to the horses," Wardes mumbled and he took off without a word.

"What's his problem…" I thought. Something about that guy really bothered me.

"I can bring her out. The process is simple enough," said Montmorency. With that, she took out a needle and her frog-like familiar-thing. She poked her finger, drawing out a drop blood and placed it on the frog's head.

"They should know me with this. Please deliver a message to the Ancient Holy Water Spirit that one of her contractor's wishes to speak with her."

The frog nodded and with a huge leap, and landed in the water with a soft plop.

"If she is found, Robin will bring her out here for us."

"Will she come?" Louise asked.

"We'll see. I made a contract with her here with my father a long time ago. If she remembers, then she will come."

We waited in silence, and before we knew it a giant geyser burst out of the water. I jumped back in alarm.

"She's here!" Montmorency warned.

With that, she raised her arms formally, and began to chant.

"I am Montmorency Margarita Lafaire de Montmorency. I am a water element magician, and also a family member of an old noble with a contract. If you recognize my blood, answer us in a way we can understand!"

With that, the water geyser started to take a human shape. Oddly enough, it took Montmorency's form, probably because it was her blood.

"I remember. You are nobody. I remember that, which runs through your body."

What kind of a greeting is that?

"I am glad. Oh holy water spirit, I have a question to ask."

"A question?"

"I would like to know why you are flooding the town. The people are having difficulty because of it."

"That is because your kind has stolen out secret treasure. We have protected it for many generations, and it is a forbidden magic among mere humans."

"A secret treasure?" Kirche said, sparkling with interest.  
"I can only exist within water. Therefore, if I could fill this world with water, I could get the treasure back."

Fill the world with water? That's a bit extreme.

"Won't that take too long though? By the time she does, it could be long gone. Like, maybe buried under the earth or in a grave or something." I asked.

"It can't be helped. Since the Holy Spirit is undying, its time is different from ours." Replied Montmorency.

I nodded, and thought deeply about what I was going to say next. I better choose carefully…

"Well, I have a solution to all of this."

They all turned.

"I'll get back the treasure for you."

"What?" everyone exclaimed at the same time.

"Don't say that so easily!" cried out Kirche.

"It seems simple enough. It's not like it's a sword."

How are you going to find it?" Louise asked me.

"I'll look around."

"That doesn't seem to help…" mumbled Guiche.

Ignoring their protests, I turned to the water spirit.

"What is the name of the treasure?"

"The Ring of Anduvari. The ring has been with me ever since the creation," The Spirit explained.

"Anduvari… Interesting name." I thought.

"I've heard of that before. It's a magic item that gives a body a fake soul," Montmorency cried out in surprise.

Great, just great. Next thing you know we get a sword that eats souls, and another sword that purifies them!

"What did they look like," asked Kirche.

"One was called Cromwell. That is all I know."

"Well, we have something we can start with. I'll bring the ring back, I promise."

"Give it up," Guiche advised in a patronizing tone. "Who would take up your promise? You're just a human who suddenly appeared. That is not enough to-"

"I believe you," The water spirit interrupted. They all gasped, and I grinned. But hell, I was pretty surprised myself.

"The Gandalf have all kept their promises with me. I can trust the Gandalf."

"Gandalf?" Kirche and Montmorency said at the same time. I said nothing, and Louise looked away.

"In any case, I'll get it back to you… someday anyway. So, could you fix the flooding?"

"I promise." And with that, the water spirit broke into tiny water droplets, and disappeared.

"What do you mean some day?" Guiche asked.

"Well the Water Spirit is undying right? It'll be okay, as long as I get it back."

With that, we headed back to Wardes to continue our journey…

That's the end of that chapter. Thank you all for your patience. I'm sorry yet again; I still have exams going on. Luckily its only two, and they're pretty close to each other. So thanks again for reading, and I'll update again soon.

I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, or the references I use.

~CXP


	12. Its Time to Duel! My true feelings?

It's Time to Duel!

Hey there guys, its time for that update again! With this chapter, not am I only celebrating OVER 3000 story hits, I am officially done exams, and school! Thank you for your support!

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!!  
In the last chapter, there was a small mistake about the fact that I can use magic. Just to correct this, I cannot use magic anymore (For the time being) and I will only be using sword and physical related techniques. Sorry about that, and thanks to vinantan45 for pointing that out. Also, Thank you to EmoEccentrica, Faminescribbler and Chocofreakazoid for helping me write this fanfic

I don't own Zero no Tsukaima or the references I use.

When the world says, "Give up," Hope whispers, "Try it one more time." ~Author Unknown

---

"Here we are, the city of La Rochelle," said Wardes.

Tired from riding all day, we had decided to rest at the inn in the city of La Rochelle, or what Louise told me was the Goddess's Temple. It was a very grand place, even for a noble. The dining tables were made of expensive mahogany wood that had been carved with expertise. The floor was made from smooth marble polished so well that I could see my face reflected in it. Six chandeliers, which had been constructed purely out of glass, hung from the high ceiling. Young waitresses clad in simple black dresses went about serving food and drink to their customers, all whom appeared to be nobles. I looked at my attire, which was worn from traveling, feeling thoroughly out of place.

"Wow, this place is fancy," I said aloud. Louise gave me a slightly contemptuous look that read even-an-idiot-like-you-shouldn't-be-surprised. Still, it was good to know we could rest. Seriously, after that little bout we had a few nights before, I was dead tired. Also, the wound on my leg didn't help. Kirche and Tabitha had decided to tag along while Montmorency told us she would go back home. But I don't really care whether they're here or not. Right now, I wanted to rest my troubles away.

Wardes, who paid for our rooms, put the keys on the table.

"Let's rest for now; take the keys. Tabitha and Kirche take one room, Guiche and Michael take another."

Guiche and I stared at each other, as we finished taking the luggage from the horses. Neither of us was exactly ecstatic about the room arrangements.

Wardes continued, "Louise and I will be sharing a room."

Louise's face turned scarlet but I barely registered that fact. I felt something tug at my heart, and before I could stop myself I turned to him.

"No," I blurted out.

He looked at me strangely.

"It is the obvious arrangement as Louise and I are engaged."

"B-but we can't! We're not even married yet!" said Louise who looked at Wardes in shock. Her eyes flickered nervously to me and then back to Wardes.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything. All I could do was watch.

Wardes shook his head and told Louise, "There is something important I have to tell you."

I raised my eyes at this. Something important?

Louise, who after a small debate gave in and proceeded with Wardes to their room. I stared as they made their way up the marble staircase, wanting to look away yet unable to. At the very top of the staircase, Louise turned around, and for a heartbeat, her eyes looked into mine. She then reluctantly turned away, and disappeared from my sight.

"Bother," Kirche said crossly. "I was hoping to talk to Wardes somewhat longer. That damned Zero, keeping him to herself. I might as well go to my rooms now. 'Night everyone – sweet dreams, darling!"

Kirche blew a flirtatious kiss in my direction and then made her way towards the staircase, Tabitha trailing silently after her.

As soon as they were out of sight, Guiche immediately clapped his hand to his forehead and made up some transparent lie about seeing a "beautiful maiden in need" that he must help "for his honor as a noble would be forever stained" if he didn't go and flirt with her right away. What a player. He took my slightly disgusted look as a "Sure, go ahead" and promptly disappeared.

And now I'm alone. Great.

With nothing else to do, I limped aimlessly throughout the inn for a bit and made note of the most random of things.

"Those pillars look like those Greek Pillars I saw when I went to Rome. I wonder how much time it takes to clean the floor this much. Wow, this painting really sucks, why the hell is it even in here?"

After a while I got bored, and sighed. My thoughts turned back to Louise. I wonder what Wardes was talking about with her. Probably about their married life together. Ugh, that pedo. Fully ten years older than Louise and everything.

Struggling, I bent over to pick up my bag, thinking to head back to my room. I froze when Louise's hand came from behind me, and picked up my bag.

"Michael."

Slowly yet stiffly, I straightened up and turned around. Louise flushed a little when I looked at her, but she stood her ground.

"You know, even though Wardes calls me his fiancée, that's what my parents decided." She said, handing my bag to me.

So I was right, it was an arranged marriage. I felt just a tiny bit better to have that confirmed.

"So, what about it?" I replied, taking my bag. I turned away, trying to avoid her gaze.

"What do you mean by what about it?"

"Well, obviously if it's something your parents decided I can't complain. Besides, as much as I hate to say it, Wardes looks pretty decent himself. He's a captain of his own squad, made his on name… I guess he's a good person too. Still, something about that guy bothers me…"

"What is there about Wardes that could possibly bother you?" Louise demanded, temper rising.

"I don't know… I just have a funny feeling."

"Oh, fine reason," she said huffily. She spun on her heel and left me for the second time that night.

"Good night to you too." I called out. She didn't respond, and proceeded back to her room.

I stood there for a while. The backpack in my hand reminded me that I had wanted to go to my room, but I dismissed the idea. I wouldn't be able to sleep in this kind of mood.

With nothing better to do, I explored around town with the same detached interest that I had explored the inn. The houses were all carved out of the mountain stone and finely crafted. Probably made by a high-class mage.

I sighed.

_Where do I go now…?_ I wondered. I walked and explored, stopping by the occasional store. Eventually though, I went back, still bored out of my mind. Tired from limping around, I decided to sit on a bench inside the inn.

"Still up so late partner?" Delfringer asked just a tad sleepily. "Can't sleep?"

"No."

"Problems with that master of yours again?"

When I didn't say anything, he nodded sagely.

"Ah. Well, at any rate, you'll always have me, partner."

A talking sword was comforting me. The thought was just a tad bit depressing.

---

The next day

My eyes flew open to the sound of knocking. I looked around, still dazed to see Guiche still asleep. The knocking continued, and I was forced to answer it myself.

_There is no ship today, so I wanted to spend the day sleeping. To make things worse, my leg still hurts from that fire spell. Just who has the guts to interrupt my sleep?_ I gritted my teeth, feeling very annoying and wrenched open the door.

"Good Morning," greeted Wardes.

Seeing him first thing after waking up really isn't how I'd like to start the day.

"What do you want?" I asked shortly. "We leave tomorrow, right? Do you have anything important to say to me? I rode a horse all yesterday, and I'm beat. Mind if you let me sleep longer?"

Wardes only smiled faintly and then asked conversationally:

"Are you the Gandalf of the legend?"

I raised my eyes at this. He woke me up, just for this?

"The what?" I asked, feigning confusion. How did he know about the Gandalf when it was supposed to be a secret?

"You need not play dumb with me, familiar."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said flatly. He was not at all fazed.

"I find history and warfare extremely interesting. That case with Fouquet intrigued me and when I heard accounts of the familiar with extraordinary swordsmanship, I must admit, it sparked my curiosity," he said, inclining his head.

I merely nodded; trying to make it obvious I wasn't interested. Yet he continued.

"I asked Louise earlier and she told me that you are from another world. When I inquired as to those runes on your hand, Louise, poor child, did not seem honest when she told me she didn't know what they meant. I did some further research in the Imperial Library. The result of that research is my discovery that you are the legendary familiar - Gandalf."

_He knows... I guess he knew I'd lie_. There was no denying it now. Reluctantly, I nodded, confirming his discovery. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

"Ah…so it is true. Forgive me for being forward, but I wish to know how strong the person who captured Fouquet is; can you show it to me?"

"Show you?"

"Let me put it this way." Wardes pulled out his metal wand from his belt. "Pit my magic against your sword; who would win, do you think?"

"A duel, huh?

"Exactly."

Wardes smiled in what I imagined to be arrogant and unfriendly. I matched his expression.

Let's see how powerful he really is. I better be careful though; one slip up and I could lose an arm… or a leg. Just analyze him… watch his movements, make a strategy.

I'm gonna show Wardes what I'm made of.

"Where do you want to duel?"

"This hotel used to be a castle designed for repelling Albion invasions. There is a parade ground in the center of it."

"Hmph, I guess were settled then. Lemme get my sword."

I proceeded back into the room. Guiche yawned, blinking his eyes blearily.

"Michael?" He asked sluggishly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just going out for a walk." I grabbed Delfringer and quickly left the room.

The two of us left for the parade ground for nobles together. The ancient practice ground was now a place full of debris and empty beer barrels and crates scattered all over the place. It was hard to believe that once, royal flags with staffs cut from stone had decorated this wasteland.

"Maybe you didn't know this, but during the reign of Philip the III, this often used to be a place to host duels between nobility."

"Oh really?"

"In a time long ago, the king still had the power to duel, nobles from the king's time… a time when nobles were noble. Who risked life for fame and honor, we nobles fought with magic. But now, it is usually fought over boring issues, rights, as if the two were fighting for a lover."

I suddenly felt my face grew serious. Putting my gloves on, I was about to draw Delfringer before Wardes stopped me.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently.

"There are certain rules regarding dueling; we don't have a witness here."

"Witness? Why not just use the commoners around the place?"

"Calm down, one is coming" Wardes replied, and Louise appeared from nearby. She stared at us, dumbfounded. I had drawn Del and Wardes hand was just reaching for his wand. Louise could put two and two together. The dumbfounded expression on her face was quickly replaced with a mixture of anger and worry.

"Wardes, you called me over and I came, what are you doing?" she demanded, rushing forward.

"I want to test his abilities a little."

"If that's the case, this is completely pointless. Stop this nonsense. Now is not the time for this!"

"Wardes wants a duel. I can't say I'm not looking forward to it either," I said casually.

Louise's eyes narrowed. Her face grew stern.

"Stop this right now. That's an order."

"Forget it, I'm not listening to you."

She flinched and then straightened and yelled, "You dare disobey your master?"

"I've done it plenty time before and you know that," I responded coldly. Her open mouth shut, and her eyes turned flinty. It was in a voice of ice when she said, "Very well. A dog like you can kill himself if he wants to. I don't care either way."

She turned away with a disgusted expression and walked off to a safe distance. I deliberately turned away from her and looked back at Wardes.

"Well then, let us begin."

Wardes pulled out his wand (which looked like a metal baton) from his belt again, and took a combat stance, with his wand pointing at me. Oddly enough, except for the wand, it looked exactly like Ike's fighting stance in Super Smash Brothers Brawl.

I drew out Delfringer, and took a defensive stance. My feet bent and spread apart, and I held Del in a diagonal fashion. I then turned my body, so that my side was facing him.

"I won't go easy on you, just 'cause you're a noble," I warned.

Wardes responded with light laughter, "No problem, hit me with everything you've got! I want to see the full power of Gandalf."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see anxiety melt Louise's icy expression. But she didn't need to worry just yet. Both of us stood quite still. It was very quiet as we tried to outwait the other.

"What's wrong Gandalf? You won't beat me by standing there," Wardes taunted after some minutes of silence.

"He who attacks first is bound to lose," I countered, and Wardes' smile faded from his face.

"I will prove that theory wrong. Here I come, Gandalf!"

With that, Wardes attacked first. I dodged the attack, sliding across the ground. So he wanted an in fight huh? My specialty.

I immediately dashed forward, ducking, as I got closer. Since Wardes was taller than me, I had the height advantage. He tried to attack, but I already stepped in under him and swung Delfringer with all my might.

The Spell Warrior parried the attack with his wand. There was a loud ring as steel clashed against steel, sending sparks in all directions. I grimaced in pain as the impact traveled through my leg, but I ignored it and pushed forward. While Wardes' weapon was merely a metal wand the size of a short sword, he was able to block my long sword without a sweat.

I cursed inwardly. Damn, he's strong!

Improvising, I dragged Delfringer across Wardes' wand, sending sparks in his face. Immediately reacting he knocked Delfringer away, and tried to stab me with his wand. I sidestepped to the right, and Wardes tumbled forward. Taking full advantage of this, I swung Delfringer again, and he dodged yet again.

Using the momentum of my attack, I followed up by swinging my entire body like a top, and I slammed myself into him. Wardes tumbled back, and tried to push me off. As his arm closed in on me, I grabbed it and pulled him down, throwing him over my shoulder. It was successful, but Wardes saw through it. He recovered mid air before he touched the ground, and landed with a soft thump.

"Ah, clever. None too bad," he noted, dusting off his clothes. Damn him, acting like he's so superior to me…and why isn't he using magic?

"Maybe he's saving it?" I mumbled. Wardes though, broke my thoughts.

"So, how's that leg of yours?" He asked, smiling. Damn, he knows about that too!

Delfringer mumbled in response, "You can't make it; he is looking down on you."

My heart burst in fury.

Unable to sprint, I dashed forward, channeling my anger into Delfringer. I didn't even bother to yell, 'cause I was that pissed.

Wardes, ready for any attack this time took his stance again. We clashed, and started a power struggle. I tried to push with all my strength, but because of my leg, my power was halved. Wardes easily overpowered me, and I was forced to retreat. I jumped away, and he rushed at me, trying to slash at my chest. Unable to dodge in time, I was forced to block. Wardes smiled as I took the hit, grunting in pain as I blocked. Sweat dropped down my face as I struggled to maintain balance, and I slashed at him in a desperate attempt.

Again, he dodged by jumped over me in a somersault, landing several feet away.

Panting in pain as sweat ran across my face, I sat down. I clutched my left leg, trying to ease the pain that swirled through it. Dammit, even though I was giving my all it was still tiring. I haven't hit him yet, and I still couldn't move well.

I better finish this fast.

With that in mind, I got up and dashed forward again. Wardes, knowing what I was going to do, crouched down, but I thought quicker. As he ducked, I used my running start to perform a somersault kick. Wardes jumped back, and as I flipped right side up in a rapid succession I loosened Delfringer's scarf, and threw him straight at him.

You should have seen his face.

Wardes eyes widened in surprise. I was certain that I got him that time but he blocked it again. I grimaced and pulled Delfringer. He took this chance to rest, as did I.

By now, our duel had drawn the interest of several commoners and there was a whole audience now, gasping and screaming as we fought. They waited with baited breath, wondering who was the stronger.

But Wardes and I knew already; Wardes was winning.

"So, care to explain why you won't use magic?" I asked as I tended to my leg.

"A Magic Knight isn't someone who only chants magic," Wardes answered.

"The way we chant is fully specialized for battle, the way we hold our wands, the motion we use to charge… the way we use our wands as swords, complete with spell craft. This is the basic of the basics for soldiers."

"That's bull. The basics are not that, it is your hands! One's body is the basis of everything! If you cannot master your body, you won't have the strength to match your weapons!"

Wardes didn't respond, and I grunted in pain again. Shit, my leg hurts like crazy. I needed to keep the distance between us, and I needed to do it now.

I stood again, and lowering my body slightly, I started to spin Delfringer with his scarf.

Like a gun shooting a bullet, I launched Delfringer at Wardes. He jumped to the side, avoiding my attack. I stopped Del just as he dodged, and started swinging him at Wardes. In all my attempts to hit him though, he either blocked, or dodged them. Not once did I hit him.

Wardes dodged Delfringer again, and just as I was about to swing again he charged straight at me.

Damn, he figured out my attack pattern.

Wardes, already ten steps away was about to strike, but just as fast as I launched Delfringer, I pulled him back and blocked his attack. He smiled at this.

"You are really fast; no one can mistake you for a commoner; truly the familiar of the legends," commented Wardes calmly.

My heart boiled in anger.

"That's it, now I'm mad!" I roared. Wardes stepped back, reducing the distance. I on the other hand, swung Delfringer wildly. There was nothing in my swings but power and frustration, no skill.

I continued with my attack, swinging in every direction and adding punches and throws in between combos. He always dodged my punches, recovered quickly from my throws and blocked my swings, but as he did I could feel the impact travel through. I could see his arms waver and shake as he retreated.

I still had a chance.

Regaining my confidence, I started swinging full force again. But as I did, Wardes knocked me away.

"Dammit, not yet!" I yelled. I charged forward again.

"Dell yill soll la windy." Wardes chanted as he blocked my attacks.

Oh no.

"Partner! Bad news! Magic is coming!" Delfringer screamed.

"I noticed!" I cried back in response. I attempted to step back, but it was too late.

"… Shit."

Bam. The winds rushed together, creating an invisible force that slammed into me with the strength of a hammer, knocking me a good 10 meters away and into a pile of beer barrels, smashing all of them as I crashed down.

I screeched in pain as I felt the impact travel through my leg. Dammit! I won't let things end this way!

Before Wardes could close in, I forced myself up. Everything was blurry, and pain coursed through my body like it was my own blood. I stumbled, tossed and turned as I struggled to stand, regaining my fighting position. In the midst of it all, I could hear the whispers of the people around me.

"He's still going to fight?" I heard one say.

"He took a pretty big blow there… I wonder if he is okay?" said another.

"Things don't look too well for him…"

I stood once again, but as I did that last sentence hit me hard.

I was gonna lose.

"It seems you've come to a conclusion." Wardes spoke, breaking the silence.

"W-what'd you say..!" I started, but I felt it.

As I stood there, I my body involuntarily shook. My eyes and body suddenly felt very heavy…

Wardes then chuckled, and, with great difficulty I looked up.

"What's so funny?" I growled. My voice was hoarse, and I finally realized why he laughed.

_My body… I can't… move…! _

With that thought, I desperately tried to move. I willed, I imagined and I tried but my feet were rooted in place. I grunted, trying to not give up. Soon enough, I was able to move somewhat. It was utterly difficult; it was like I was like I had the world on my shoulders. A dull, throbbing pain in my right temple slowly, but surely broke out. The burns on my leg, which had been healing nicely, were now flaring with pain. I could feel blood trickling unpleasantly down the side of my head, and my body shook violently.

I was a sitting duck.

Wardes stood haughtily throughout my attempts to move, and laughed as I struggled. But soon enough, his face then turned serious.

"It looks like that's the full extent of your power. I'll admit you are powerful, but you still have much to learn before you can beat me," he said with a smirk, and raised his wand.

"With your power… you will not be able to protect Louise."

I gasped, eyes immediately widening. Wardes then began to cast a spell, and blue electrical energy swirled around him.

_Move…_

Wardes continued canting his spell.

_Move Dammit!_ I roared in my head. My legs didn't respond.

"This is the end, Gandalf." Said Wardes, and as he fired his spell, everything was cast into slow motion.

_Why am I here? _

_I came here to kick his ass!_

_How can I protect Louise if I don't win?!_

I desperately tried to think a way out of the situation. In the heat of the moment, it dawned on me like the sun.

There's only one way out…

As Wardes' spell came closer, I drew out the hidden blade, and lifted my arm…

_Move legs… Move! I want to win… _I thought desperately. The spell was right on top of me, before…

"I… NEED TO WIN!" I roared. With that, I plunged the hidden blade into my thigh, bursting my body with pain and feeling. My senses came back at the speed of light, and I jumped out of the way, dodging the attack.

My left leg, now unable to support my weight, lay limp as I crashed to the floor, writhing in pain. I heard the gasps and screams of everyone around me, as they pondered at my desperateness.

I stabbed Delfringer into the ground, using him to keep balance as I stood. My breathing was ragged, and my senses were dull. Everything around me was fading.

"Partner, you alright?!" I heard Delfringer cried out. His voice seemed far away…

_Am I… gonna die…? Is this the end?_

Something inside me shook off the feeling.

_No. I won't die. I still have something left to do. I still have something left to protect._

My eyes unconsciously turned to Louise, who now had tears streaking across her face.

_I still have…_

Everything disappeared with a sudden blackness.

-------------------------------------------------------------

LOUISE POV

I stared at him, as Michael stood in challenge against Wardes. Why does he want to fight so badly? Does he want to test himself that much?

Thinking back, how did I even start to feel this way? Was it the way he stood up against Guiche? The way he saved me when he fought Fouquet? I can't live without him. I can't live with him. I can't live with that sarcastic jerk, but I can't bear to see him die.

My thoughts were interrupted by screams and shouts. I looked up, only to see Michael crash down to the floor, with a new injury on his leg.

The hidden blade I bought for him was covered in blood. Was it his blood? Did he stab himself?

Oh, no, no, no…

I wanted to scream, to throw myself into the arena, to protect that stubborn idiot. Why did he have to get himself half killed? Was whatever the hell he was trying to prove that important – did it really mean as much as his life to him?

I couldn't watch, but I couldn't turn away either.

He was silent for but a moment. In that moment, I very nearly lost all the control I had. I was about to run to his side and force him to stop but before I did, he stood. He tossed and turned as he struggled to stand, using Delfringer as a crutch. How could he be so desperate?

But why should I care? Why should it matter to me?

He's gone through the worst of punishments, insults and abuse, broken bones and deep cuts... Look at the way he stabbed himself, and yet he continues to fight! Why does he do this? Why does he always fight?

Why can't I let him go? Why doesn't he leave? I am no more than a hindrance to him. I can't even tell him how much I care.

_Why?_

I didn't know.

I didn't know!

The tears started to stream down my face.

I watched. Why can't I stop them? Am I scared? Why shouldn't I stop them - he would die at this rate!

I watched. I was unable to do anything, unable to call out to him as he fought with his life on the line.

For a brief moment, his dark brown eyes turned to me. Dull brownish black eyes met mine, and I covered my mouth as I gasped.

_He's unconscious…!_

How long has he been like that? Did he lose consciousness just now?

"Partner, come on stop fighting! You'll die at this rate!" Delfringer cried out to him, but he did not answer. He couldn't!

Just then, Michael limped towards Wardes, sword in hand. Wardes did nothing, and the people around us were silent.

"Partner, stop!"

_No…_

He raised his sword, about to attack…

…and I completely lost control.

"NO!!!" The scream ripped out of me; the intensity of it almost scared me. My legs moved on their own, and I sprinted to him, embracing him as I neared. Michael's body suddenly became stiff, but Delfringer was still high.

"Please, stop…"I whispered.

His arm did not move.

"Please… stop fighting… that's enough, you've done well, so please… stop it…" I whispered, tears soaking his green shirt. My grip tightened, determined to hold him back.

And just like that, his body became limp. I gasped as his weight suddenly dropped into my arms; it brought my staggering to my knees. Delfringer crashed to the ground with a loud clang. The world seemed to silence around us, as I knelt there with Michael in my arms.

Michael…

With his eyes closed, he almost looked like he was sleeping. His cockiness, attitude, stubbornness…all the things that sometimes made me feel like clawing his eyes out had fallen away from him. In spite of everything he pretended to be, he was just a boy. Just a boy…

I started to sob.

"Someone get a water mage. Now!" I heard Wardes call out. I heard the uncertain murmurs of the crowd, and the sound of footsteps falling as people carried out Wardes' orders.

I heard Wardes take a step closer, but he did not crouch down, hug me, touch me in any way. He merely stood there, watching as I cried over the injured boy in my arms.

_Never again… I won't let you end up like this ever again… I'll become stronger; I'll improve my magic somehow… I'll catch up to you one day, so please Michael… _

…

_Don't die…_

---

And there you have it guys, hope you enjoyed. Make sure you review mmkay? ;D See you next chapter

~CXP


	13. RE: you lose! Jailbreak!

Chapter 13

Yo guys, sorry for the inconvenience. You see the thing is I uploaded the wrong chapter. The one before was the old, unedited version. This is the real one, so sorry about that.

Hey guys, I'm back with another chapter! Just a quick note, the reason I wasn't updating was cuz I took a break from fanfiction. I felt that I wanted to spend my summer doing other things, not just this. Also, I went on a trip to Washington and was unable to bring my laptop with me. Anyway, things haven't been going the way I expected them to. You see, in the last chapter, the Louise POV wasn't supposed to be there, but I needed it so I could fit in the next part (Me fighting unconscious) anyway, I won't be updating as often anymore, instead I'll be working my way around some changes to the story. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Now on with the story!

I don't own Zero no Tsukaima, or the references I use.

---

…

_Where am I?_

Darkness. Absolute darkness from what I could see. Well, not that I could see anything. Still…

_What is this place?_

_I don't understand…._

At first, I saw nothing. But slowly, my senses began to focus.

I felt my arms brush against soft fabric. My eyes slowly adjusted to the lighting. I found myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. It definitely was not my hotel room. It looked more like a …tent?

What was I doing in a tent?

I tried to move, noting that my limbs felt bulkier than usual. What the hell? Was I strapped down or something? I hope I wasn't used in some mad science experiment…

I looked down, to find myself strapped with bandages.

"Oh yeah, that's right…" I spoke out loud. "I was in a fight with Wardes."

It took another few seconds to realize that since I was bandaged in this tent, I must have…

"I lost, huh…" I whispered, the disappointment finally coming. Damn it all…

"It seems that he has suffered a significant number of injuries." Somebody was talking outside the tent; probably the doctor. I shut up and listened, wanting to know exactly how bad I got beaten up. "Leaving aside the knife wound on his thigh and the burns on his leg, he has taken some internal damage. We had to remove several splinters from his back, and he suffered internal bleeding. He had several broken ribs, and his left thigh was cracked. Fortunately enough, they were nothing we couldn't handle. He should be fine." Damn, did I really take that much? Well, it would explain why I couldn't move…

I heard the rustling of fabric, and my eyes instinctively turned. Louise, Wardes and the Doctor had entered the tent. Louise gasped; there were fresh tears in her eyes. She ran up to me, the Doctor and Wardes following.

I grinned at her, trying to shrug it off.

"Heh, looks like I…!" I was cut off as her palm made contact with my face, sharply turning my head with the force of it.

"How dare you do that to yourself, you idiot! You disobey my orders, fight without my approval, AND you get yourself half killed! Do you know how much trouble we had just to get you back into shape?!" Louise shrieked. She was shaking with suppressed wrath. Wardes and the Doctor merely stood there as Louise continued to berate me.

_Well, I would have been fine if I managed to dodge that spell._ I didn't say anything though. I was still sore, and I really wanted rest; the last thing I wanted was to get into a fight.

"How long have I been out?" I asked the doctor, trying to break Louise's torrent of insults.

"You have been unconscious for approximately 5 hours."

"Only?" I figured that with all that, I'd be out for days.

"I was surprised myself. Your recovery speed is incredible! I wanted to further study it, and with the approval of Miss Vallière, I took a sample of your blood and studied it." The Doctor's eyes were glowing with an academic zeal by now. "I found that your blood had a special sort of magical residue flowing through it. Not only does it give you enhanced healing, but it also increases your strength and agility! It was a truly fascinating study. With further research, Miss Vallière told me you were her familiar…"

I thought the magic of the Gandalf only let me use any weapons? The increased strength and speed I can understand, but healing? Man, its like I was given some sort of plot protection or something!

"How long will it be before I can start walking?" I asked, interrupting the Doctor's rant. He coughed, excusing himself before he continued.

"With your recovery speed, it should be in about another hour or so."

"Great. I'm still kind of sore, so I wouldn't mind another hours rest."

"We will be at the hotel. Make sure you come as soon as you are sufficiently recovered," Wardes said, who was unusually silent throughout the entire conversation. He turned, about to leave before…

"Wardes." I called out. He stopped dead in his tracks, but did not turn.

"I'll say this only once. I'll admit you beat me this time, but I swear on my life I'm gonna get better. I'll train harder, and one day you better fight me again."

Louise slapped me again.

"Are you asking to get yourself killed again? Do you want to end up this way AGAIN?!" she demanded in screams. I looked at her, about to reply before Wardes cut me off.

"… I'll be waiting for it. Train hard Familiar, for I will become stronger as well."

Louise gasped a little. She seemed on the verge of protesting, and then checked herself, seeming to realize that she wouldn't be able to convince Wardes out of his acceptance. She spun around, fixing pleading eyes on me, as if she was trying to convince me to retract my challenge.

She obviously didn't know me well enough.

"You better. All the better I'll feel when I finally kick your ass," I said, smirking. Wardes made towards the door, but paused a little, looking at Louise.

She glanced a little at Wardes, then at me. She seemed torn for a moment, then hissed "Michael, you idiot!" scathingly at me before following Wardes. I looked away when I saw him put his arm around her shoulders as they left.

"Well then, if there is anything you need, just call me," the doctor said. He excused himself, leaving me alone in the room.

"Heh, now I can finally get some rest around here," I mumbled. I laid myself down on the bed again ready to get some sleep. As I closed my eyes, those two words echoed like drums in my head.

_I lost…._

_---_

That night, I returned to the hotel. Everyone was quite happy at my speedy recovery and even invited me to the party on the first floor. After all, we were heading for Albion tomorrow. It was gonna be a long journey, so everyone wanted to relax as much as possible. In the end I decided to refuse. Instead I headed to my room, and stood in the balcony by myself.

Bored, I looked up to the starlit night sky, in the sea of stars; the pink moon hid behind the white moon, and thus became one moon sparking with a peach color. Now that I think about it, why did this earth have two moons, and my earth have one? I wonder…

Damn, thinking about home now, I kinda missed it. I missed my friends, I missed brawling with them, and I missed messing around with them. I missed the times we shared. I remember going to their houses. I remember how I always pissed them off, running away pretending to be scared to piss them off even more… I missed chilling with them during lunch at school…

I don't even know if I remember their voices anymore. It was a scary thought.

I could feel a sudden sharp ache inside me, as tears started to fall from my eyes.

I was homesick.

Damn, how pathetic, crying over the times that have already passed. My friends were gone, and there was no way for me to get back…

No way for me to see them again…

"Michael."

Somebody called from behind me. I jumped in surprise, turning to find Louise standing there, with her arms crossed.

"…Just because you lost does not mean you should cry; it's unbecoming of you."

I wiped my eyes, slightly embarrassed.

"That's not why I'm crying."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm only doing it because I… was just thinking about home. I was thinking about my friends… the people I left behind…" I mumbled. She said nothing for a moment. Her eyes suddenly looked like they might fill with tears as well.

"I'm sorry. That's my fault."

"It's your fault that I was chosen to be your familiar? You never had a choice. Besides, you treat me like crap whether or not it is your fault."

"There is nothing I can do about it, I am a member of the nobility, and if I don't do it there would be rumors."

"Who cares what other people think?"

"I care what other people think! If my family name is stained then I will be to blame! If my pride as a noble is broken, things may happen to my family. I don't want that!"

Her voice had a sharp edge to it now. I was too angry to care.

"Damn it all. Is your pride really worth it? Man, it makes no sense! Why are you so touchy on this nobility thing?" I muttered in an unpleasant tone.

"What, is there a problem with it? Don't you see me as a noble?" She asked, raising her voice.

"Yes, I do have a problem with it, and no I don't see you as a noble!"

She stepped back at this.

"I see you as Louise. I see you as you. No matter what you do, no matter what your status is, you are you. I don't give a damn about your pride. I know being a noble is a very important thing, but that doesn't mean you should be chained down by it!" I huffed.

Louise was quiet for a moment. I could almost see the gears of her mind working as she turned over my response, both considering it and trying to find something wrong with it.

"…When this mission is over, I will do my best to find you a way home."

"Is there even a way?"

Louise put her arms around her belt, nodding her head in a cute expression.

"I don't know, but I'll find a way somehow."

"But what happens if I cannot find a way back?"

Her face reddened a little. She hesitated, before replying, "…If that happens, I will ask you to continue to serve me."

"Even if you are married?"

"This has nothing to do with marriage."

"Oh, it has everything to do with marriage."

Louise placed her arms on her hips, angry again. "What? How does my married life have anything to do with this?"

"If you're married, then your husband can protect you. Since you are so stuck with the damn nobility thing, I'm pretty sure he would be stronger than me."

I turned away, letting the anger seep out of me. I turned to look at the moons, trying not to be aware of Louise's gaze on my back.

She breathed a little sigh, like she was trying to steady herself. When she spoke again, it was in a much calmer voice.

"It doesn't matter. During the time you are in Halkeginia, you are my familiar. So regardless of the fact I get married or not, it is your duty to protect me and do laundry as well as other duties."

I turned, facing her again.

Under that pink colored hair, Louise's light-pink eyes sparked with fury. Anger had colored her normally pale face. Even her puckered up lips were extremely cute.

Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I know I thought she was cute, but that's too far!

_Damn it all -, what is wrong with me? Just because I find her cute, my heart races like crazy? I've found a lot more girls here much better looking than Louise, but this is just…_

Louise, in the silence clasped her hands together. Louise the Zero. The same Louise who nursed me to perfect health. The Louise who confronted Fouquet's golem despite being completely defenseless. The self-ashamed Louise that cries secretly when being called zero...

Occasionally though, Louise shows up as a real girl that combines the courage, kindness and beauty in her.

The girl in front of me is known by a lot of names. Some of them are ridiculously long and formal, and others are plain insulting.

But to me, she is just Louise.

Just the Louise I love.

_Heh looks like I fell for her after all. Even knowing that any chance of "us" happening is just wishful thinking, I still fell for her. How cliché._

I was probably being stupid, but then again, aren't all lovers supposed to be mad or something like that?

Trying to break the silence I asked, "Why don't you just let Wardes protect you?"

"Amazing, you are still not over losing to him?" Louise rolled her eyes. Even that arrogant act was absolutely adorable. "You are my familiar right? If you lost, you just have to be stronger. That defeated look would sully the la Vallière name."

"Losing happens; I know this for a fact. Besides, I'm not brooding over it. I'm trying to think a way to counter his moves. He was damn good. Much better than I am, and probably will be for a while. I need to think up a strategy…"

This was an excuse though, and I knew it. It was not as simple as being defeated. It was losing in front of Louise, and losing to her fiancé. I was prepared to lose, but nothing ever really goes the way I plan for them.

Louise was angry again. "Ok, I understand. Get yourself killed again."

"Hmph, you would like that wouldn't you? Yeah, get me killed so you can get Wardes to protect you instead. How selfish of you!" I yelled, angering her even more. Her hands clenched into two small fists.

"That person is really reliable. He won't make me worry. I don't have to tell a familiar like you, but I will tell you now. Now I have decided, I will…"

I didn't hear what she was saying. The words were drowned out as I started at the ominous black figure rising from the darkness. It stood 3 feet tall, and I could see a smaller figure rest on the bigger one's shoulders.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

"Michael, are you listening to me?!"

"What the hell?!" Louise, reacting to my yell, turned her head around. She gave a little cry of shock when she saw it.

"It has been a while," called out an oh-so familiar voice.

"Fouquet!" Louise and I shouted in unison. Fouquet, in all her green haired bitchiness, sat on the golem's shoulder, her voice smug as she answered, "Oh, it is such an honor to be remembered!"

"Shouldn't you be rotting in jail?" I said. How did she get out anyway? I thought the jail was square class!

Fouquet shouted back, "Somebody had a kind heart, a beauty like myself should be contriving to the welfare of the world, so they let me escape."

"Oh great, an inside job. What did you do, become his sex slave?!" I taunted.

Her eyes turned to slits, her flippant manner suddenly turned icy. "Watch it, boy."

It was at that moment, another figure appeared before us. He stood about a foot taller than Fouquet, and wore a white tinted usurpers mask. Was that guy the person who helped her escape?

"…So you are someone who can't mind her own business, what are you doing here?" Louise asked angrily, taking out her wand. I drew out Delfringer.

"I am here to thank you for the long vacation you gave me, I am here to send you my appreciation!"

Fouquet howled in laughter, as the huge golem lifted its arm. I grabbed Louise, and immediately jumped away just as the golem struck. Its giant arm pulverized the fence, and half the balcony with one hit. That fence had been carved out of solid stone – the damn golem's strength had increased again! Just how many upgrades does this thing get? Not cool!

"Damn, it's too cramped here!"

I didn't like it but…

"We have to run!"

---

So yeah guys that's the end of that chapter. Sorry again for the late update, and I won't be updating on a regular basis anymore. I'll just release random chapters whenever I get them done. Sorry for any inconvenience.

R&R please!

~CXP


	14. Escape! Pirate Raid!

Change my Destiny 14

Hey guys I'm back with another chapter! Sorry for the wait. I was planning on doing a double chapter update, but due to my editor being lazy (.) Chapter 15 was not finished on time. So for now, I'm going to make chapter 15 (much) longer than usual, and hope that this chapter will keep you satisfied.

Hope you enjoy, and I don't own Zero no Tsukaima.

---

Louise and I ran down the stairs, into the now battle ensued mess hall. Everything was in chaos, as noble after noble tried to escape the onslaught of Soldiers. In the midst of them I saw Kirche, Tabitha Guiche and Wardes fighting together.

"Sorry we're late for the party!" I called out to them. I cut down a soldier as he came up the stairs, and sprinted to the others, Louise right behind me.

Wardes kicked down a table, creating a temporary cover for us.

"Guiche! Make a wall!" He commanded. Guiche gulped and nodded. With a wave of his rose wand, the ground shuddered and then a rock wall erupted in front of us, separating us from our attackers.

"It's about time you showed up. Just what were you two doing?" Guiche cried out, exhausted. Kirche and Tabitha seemed to be in much the same state. He looked as if he had more to say, but Wardes silenced him with a look.

"Everyone, listen carefully," Wardes whispered. "This mission counts as complete if one half of the group arrives safely at the destination."

"One half? What are you saying?" Louise asked anxiously.

We started as a deep booming noise sounded behind us. I turned to see a thin crack appear on Guiche's wall.

"Shoot – they must be using a bench as a battering ram," Guiche said worriedly. There was another booming noise and the crack grew wider.

"Guiche, can you fortify that wall with your magic?" Wardes barked.

"Yes, but not forever…"

"Then hold it as long as you can!," Kirche hissed. Guiche nodded and started to mutter words, his wand emitting a slight glow. She spun towards Wardes, her eyes gleaming. "You have a plan, don't you? Tell us it!"

"We have to split up into two groups," Wardes said bluntly. "One shall deliver the letter. The other stays here."

"You mean like bait?" I asked.

"Exactly."

Another booming noise, this time followed by the sound of cracking rock. A section of the wall had broken and crumbled away. Beyond it, I could see the soldiers, preparing to ram it again. We were running out of time.

Kirche took control. "You go to the harbor. We'll handle things here," she barked, looking every bit a general as she pointed at Wardes, Louise and I.

"The time?" Wardes asked in response.

"Now," mumbled Tabitha as she straightened.

"Just liked we planned, go through the backdoor."

"Will you guys hurry up?!" Guiche cried out as he stood, holding up the wall with magic. "My magic won't last much longer!"

Things were happening so fast, my mind almost felt too slow to keep up. We were going to go on ahead while…

"Wait a second, you expect me to leave them here?!" I cried as something clicked into place. I wasn't just about to abandon my friends for some mission, no way!

I looked at Kirche. She ran a hand through her red hair, eyes unusually bright. She puckered her lips then added, "Bah, can't help it. We really didn't want to go to Albion with you anyway."

"You might die here. What would happen then?" I demanded of Guiche. The blonde idiot grinned back at me.

"If I die then I won't be able to meet Princess Henrietta again," Guiche said lightheartedly.

"Go," Tabitha said simply.

"But I can't just..."

Kirche gave me a light shove, cutting me off. "Enough chatter, go already!" A sly look came into her eyes and she leaned forward seductively. "When you come back…I will let you kiss me."

"Uhh, Thanks?"

"Kirche! Now's not the time!" Louise snapped.

Kirche straightened and looked at Louise. "Ah, right, Louise…please don't make any misinterpretation of this. I'm doing this solely for the sake of my darling. I didn't consent to act as bait for you, you know."

"I know, I know!" Louise said crossly but her eyes seemed watery all the same when she saluted the three of them.

Wardes, Louise and I lowered ourselves, getting ready to sprint. I glanced towards them. There was a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, like there was something squirming in it.

"You guys…" I started, not sure exactly what I wanted to say. "…be careful, okay?"

"We will," Kirche responded.

I nodded, not entirely certain. But it was probably the best that I would get.

"Alright," I said to Wardes and Louise. "Let's go."

"Guiche, release the wall now!" Wardes yelled. The light from the rose wand disappeared and at the same moment, the last and loudest crash happened. The three of us ran as the wall crumbled into dirt again and the soldiers roared as they resumed their ambush. I could hear arrows fly towards us, but a gust of wind conjured by Tabitha blocked it.

"Thank you," I mouthed; I wasn't certain if she saw it.

With that, we burst out of the back door and into the night.

---

The light of the moons illuminated our path as we ran towards the harbor. Come to think of it, I still wasn't entirely certain where the harbor was. I hadn't even seen so much as a sign of an ocean around this place. I hoped it wasn't too far. I could run for several kilometers more but Louise was already starting to breath heavily.

Wardes ran towards a certain building's long stairs, and began walking up them.

Stairs? Aren't we going to an ocean harbor or something?

"Hey, where are we going?" I asked. Neither Wardes nor Louise answered my question. I just followed them, bewildered.

After climbing the long flight of stairs, they arrived on top of a small hill, with me trailing behind uncertainly. My eyes widened as I finally saw the harbor.

What the hell? That's insane!

What stood before me was a huge tree, branching out in every direction. It had to be the size of a small mountain, at least. How tall was it? The night covered its top, but it was really huge. Damn, from here it looks like the frigging Eiffel Tower!

"That's the dock?!" I sputtered out. No way, how come we don't have one of these?!

A shining object suddenly caught my attention. Taking a closer look between the branches, the tree seemed to be holding something even larger. Was it a giant fruit?

"There's the ship!" Louise pointed out. I stared. Wait, that thing was the ship?! Holy crap! Holy _crap!_

"This is the 'harbor'? That's the ship?" Jeez man, that's freaking epic!

"Yes... isn't your world like that?" Louise replied in surprise.

"Harbors and ships all stay on water in my world," I said, still staring at the ship suspended in mid-air.

"If there are ships that sail on water, there are ships that sail in the air." Louise said a matter-of-factly.

"If there are ships on water…there are ships in the air…what kind of logic is that? That's just...really…I can't…" I rambled on. Louise was looking worried now and Wardes was looking at me like I had gone mad. I struggled to get a grip on myself.

"…Man, what the hell. That's awesome," I concluded weakly.

Wardes ran to the tree's roots, which were as big and spacious as a skyscraper's lobby. They had probably dug the middle out of a dead tree to make this. A bit of overkill, but hey, at least the tree is still standing.

It was night, so it was empty. We wouldn't have been able to see anybody anyways in the dark.

Between each flight of stairs were metal panels, with writing of some sort on them.

_Maybe they're like those Station signs or something?_

Wardes climbed the stairs in front of him, with Louise and I close behind.

One flight of wooden stairs was connected to another. Damn, just how high does thing go man?! This is worse than my gym exercises!

About halfway up the tree, Louise suddenly faltered and then stopped.

"Louise?"

"I'm…sorry," she wheezed as she dropped down to sit on a step, clutching at her chest. "I…can't…run…anymore…"

I leaned against the wall myself, breathing hard. I hadn't wanted to stop, but I was dead tired as well. Wardes, whose breathing was almost uncannily even, looked over us sharply before he nodded.

"Very well. We might take a break."

"Thanks…" I said appreciatively as I sat down as well. Lower down, Louise coughed as she tried to get her breath down.

"How are you?" I asked Wardes, honestly curious.

"I'm fine," he replied. Damn, this guy had some serious stamina!

I froze as I suddenly sensed a presence behind us. Even as I turned around, a shadow jumped out and landed behind Louise.

It was the white-masked man on Fouquet's golem.

Louise, behind you!" I yelled, pulling out Delfringer. I was too late though.

Louise turned around, and the next instant, she was screaming in his arms as the masked man jumped several feet away.

"Louise!" I ran after them, trying to catch up, Wardes trailing behind. The man landed on the ground with a soft thump, and I had a sudden feeling of Déjà vu.

"You're not getting away!" I yelled, loosening Delfringer's scarf. I paused just a little bit before I threw the sword at the man. I held my breath, praying I wouldn't hit Louise instead. Louise screamed again as he swiftly dodged it.

"Are you trying to kill me, you idiot?!"

"Damn, so much for that."

"That wasn't very smart." remarked Wardes.

"Well let's see you do better," I snapped.

"Very well," Wardes said and waved his baton. Like a rag doll, the man was blown away, struck by his air hammer. He let go of Louise, who gasped as the both of them started to fall.

Oh, come on, that's not cool!

I was about to jump after her, but Wardes jumped off from the platform before I could. He dove towards Louise, catching her right before she hit the ground. I was about to follow, but a spell from another direction stopped me. I turned, and the man stood before me.

"Damn, don't get in my way!"

He didn't reply, but pulled out a staff from his waist. It was a black Baton, similar to Wardes. He then took a pose similar to Wardes; he might have been a reflection in a mirror. Who was this guy, Wardes' fan boy?

Before he could cast a spell though, I charged straight into his face. We clashed, and started a power struggle. I pushed with all my might, but he pushed back with equal force.

"Damn it all…!" I roared. I used the renewed strength in my legs to overpower him. Man, that doctor did some great medical work. But I didn't have time to think about that.

I immediately dashed forward, ducking, as I got closer. Since the man was taller than me, I had the height advantage. He tried to attack, but I already stepped in under him and swung Delfringer with all my might. Again, the feeling of déjà vu washed over me.

Damn, what's going on? Why am I getting déjà vu?

He jumped away, but I kept up with him, swinging Delfringer. He parried my swing with the side of his wand, and tried to stab me in the chest. I immediately grabbed his wrist with my left hand before it could reach me. But before I could do anything else, his wand started to glow.

Oh no.

"Incoming, Partner!" cried out Delfringer. I could hear Louise cry out my name as the spell was about to be cast… and the sense of déjà vu became stronger than ever.

"Not this time, bitch!" I yelled. Before the spell could be finished, I jerked my wrist forward. The stake shaped blade of the hidden blade pierced the man's wrist, ripping straight through it.

Something was weird. I could feel no warm blood trickling out of his wound, and neither did the man make a noise of any kind. Instead, he jumped away, hiding his hand. That's weird. From that distance I should have felt some blood… But really, that was a close call. I better be careful, or I just might die this time.

The man waved his wand. The air around us suddenly dropped what felt like

-200 degrees, and I felt my body go numb from the cold as my breath steamed up in front of me.

Great, what spell is he casting now?

I regained my stance, but Delfringer yelled, "Get on guard, partner! It's Lightning Cloud'!" Delfringer cried, recognizing the spell.

I threw him up in the air and grabbed it with my left hand, ready to block. A sudden flash of light blinded me. A loud ring of thunder filled my ears, and my arm was jolted with electricity.

In an instant I screeched with pain, kind of like how Link screamed when I made him jump into lava in Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess. Seriously, talk about Karma.

I felt my left wrist sear from the intense heat, as if I had been badly scalded by boiling lava. I felt my muscles being charred off, inch by inch, and I could feel the electricity coursing through my nerves. The current left a trail, scorching my arm as well.

"Michael!" Louise shrieked somewhere behind me, but I barely registered it.

The spell ended with a final explosion, sending me tumbling down the staircase. But before I fell too far, I stabbed Delfringer into the aged wood. I jerked to a stop, and winced as my stop traveled through my arm.

"DAMN IT THAT HURT!!!" I howled, standing up. Man, I just got my leg fixed too!

I gasped at the pain as I forced myself back up. My left arm hung charred and battered at my side, all but useless.

I ran back up the stairs, determined to fight again only to see the masked man… sent flying off the staircase, down to the ground below. The one, who shot him down, was none other than Wardes.

"Oi, hang on-" My legs suddenly gave out and I landed on my bad arm, making me howl from the fresh pain. Delfringer fell out of my grasp and clattered onto the floor.

"Michael! MICHAEL!" Louise ran to my side, Wardes following.

"Hey…"

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" She asked wildly, kneeling down.

"I'm okay, I just got burned a bit," I said, trying to calm her down. She didn't relax one bit.

Louise grabbed my arm, wrenching it closer to her. I yelped and twitched convulsively at the sudden movement.

"Ow, hey watch it! I'm still injured!"

"Burned a bit? You call this _burned a bit_?! This is worse than your leg!" She let go of it all the same, to my immense relief.

"That was 'Lightning Cloud'. Very strong wind magic. That guy looks like an expert to me," Delfringer spoke in concern.

"But you were lucky to survive with just your left arm injured. This spell usually kills. Looks like your sword neutralized some of the current, but I'm not sure why. Isn't the thing made of metal?"

"Well, if I remember right an everlasting spell was cast on it from what the shopkeeper told me. He didn't say anything else though," said Louise, still examining my arm closely, although not touching it, I'm glad to say.

"Well, it's a good thing the doctor gave me this," said Wardes, taking out a small bottle. The liquid inside was blood red, making me shiver. Just what was that? Blood?

Wardes removed the lid from the bottle, and let a single drop of the strange liquid fall. It fell on my arm, and like Wolverine, the skin suddenly started to heal. Did you know that having your wound heal in fast motion feels kind of weird? Yeah, kind of like…like…argh, I can't describe it. He poured another drop on my wrist, and it healed as well.

Gingerly, I touched my arm. It felt fine. "Hey, it doesn't hurt anymore!

Wardes held out the bottle of liquid to me.

"Oh – thanks." I took it as I got to my feet. Louise was still eyeing my worriedly as I picked Delfringer up and sheathed him.

"This healing potion should do the trick. It would be wise you keep that, for it may come in handy later on. Anyway, we better hurry or we will miss the ship."

---

My eyes snapped open to the sailors' noises and blinding light.

"Albion in sight!" the lookout bellowed.

I rubbed my eyes, waking myself up. Louise, who seemed to have been sleeping beside me, stood up drowsily. I looked around to see wooden planks of the ship, the sails on the masts fluttering in the wind. I walked over to the side to see the ship holding its own weight while in the middle of the sky. Honestly, I still can't get over how this defies the very laws of physics. Ah well…

"They say we're near Albion, but I don't see land anywhere. Just where is it?" I asked, looking around. I looked down, and all I saw were clouds. Why were we still in the air?

"There." Louise pointed up towards the sky.

"Huh?" I followed where she pointed, and gasped in shock.

"What the hell? THAT'S Albion? That huge floating Island?!"

From between the clouds, a huge as piece of Land floated before me. It expanded as far as I could see, if not everywhere. Mountains carved the landscape, and rivers flowed down them.

"Did that frighten you?" Louise asked curiously. She probably remembered my reaction last night at the harbor and the flying ships.

"Ah... I've... never seen anything like this before," I gaped, my jaw dropping to the floor. Man, just how much more fantasy could you get here?

"Albion, the floating island. It floats in the air, just like that, usually over oceans. However, it passes by over the Halkeginian continent a few times every month. It's about the size of Tristein, and it's nicknamed 'The White Country'."

"The White Country? Why White?"

Louise pointed towards the island again. "The water from the rivers flow off the island into the air, and while doing so becomes white fog, covering the bottom part of the island. The fog turn into clouds, which give Halkeginia its rainfall," Louise explained. I stared; damn, she was right.

Why couldn't we have learned this in Geography?

"Ship approaching, starboard side!" I heard what I guessed was the lookout.

I turned, only to see a ship approaching, and it was many measures larger than the one that we were on. Cannons jutted out of holes on its portside.

"Yo, they have cannons? Are they freaking pirates?!" I yelled out.

The black ship fired a shot. With a muffled boom, the cannonball closed in on us.

Aww, shit.

"Get down!" I yelled, grabbing Louise. We dropped to the floor, as a loud explosion filled the deck. The ship took a turn, trying to escape before a voice filled the air.

"We are pirates! Do not resist!" a man onboard the black ship yelled with a horn.

Ah, so they are Pirates. Well, not that it wasn't obvious.

On the black ship's port, men lined up with bows and rifles. They aimed and shot hooked lines, grabbing onto their ship's starboard. More strong men, about ten of them wielding axes and curved sabers, slid over the ropes and onto the ship.

"Damn, there are a lot of them…" I thought, withdrawing Delfringer slowly.

"Michael…" Louise whispered, clinging onto my arm.

"Get behind me," I told her shortly.

"Be careful," she whispered urgently as she nodded and complied.

The pirates fired at those who tried to run, and captured those who surrendered.

"Well, what do we have here?"

Four of the pirates surrounded Louise and I, and I took a ready stance.

"Nice girl you got there," one of them leered at Louise.

"Get any closer and I'll rip your arms off," I warned him.

"Gonna fight now, lad?" He chuckled. "You see here, there's four of _us _and one of _you_. Didn't anybody ever teach you how to count?"

"You'd best give up the heroic act," another one advised. "Any battle isn't going to turn out nicely for you."

"Why don't you just try it?" I challenged them, gripping Delfringer tightly. Although I was healed from the potion, I was still a bit sore.

"The boy's an idiot. Guess there's no helping it." They started to close in on us.

This was gonna be one long fight…

"Michael..." Louise said quietly. Her voice spoke with fear, and I increased my grip on Delfringer. However, before I could do anything a hand was placed on my shoulder. I immediately turned; ready to attack, but stopped.

It was Wardes. How the hell did he get behind me?

"They're not just armed barbarians, Michael. They have a lot of cannons pointed at us. If you want to live on the battlefield, you've got to accurately measure their strength and yours. They might even have mages on their side."

Wardes' griffin, which was sitting on front of the deck, growled warningly at the pirates. It reared back when its head was suddenly covered with blue-white smoke, and it fell onto the deck, fast asleep.

"A sleeping spell... so they do have mages," Louise whispered. "Michael…lower Delfringer."

"Damn it all…"

There was no helping it. I glared at the pirates as I dropped Del to the floor.

At an order, the pirates landed on their ship. They took our weapons, and lined us up with the rest of the crew on the front deck. One of them was barking orders at the rest of them. He wore a shirt that looked like it used to be white, but was dirtied black from sweat and lubricant. One could see his strong and well-tanned chest muscles in the shirt's openings. A patch covered his left eye.

_Is he the leader?_

"Where's the captain?" He commanded in a rough tone, looking around him.

"Me." The captain, shaking but still trying to keep his composure, raised his hand.

The leader walked to him in large steps, took out his saber and rapped it at the captain's face. "What's the ship's name and what does it carry?"

"Tristeinia's _Marie Galante_. The cargo is sulfur."

A gasp came from the pirates. The leader sniggered, picking up the captain's hat and putting it on his head.

"I'm buying everything on this ship then... the price being your lives!"

The captain shook with shame and terror. The leader smirked as he looked around at his hostages. His eyes widened as they landed on Wardes and Louise.

"Oho, we have noble guests!" The leader approached Louise and raised her chin with his hand. She tried to look away, but his strong grip held her in place.

"We have a beauty here. Would you like to be our dishwasher?"

The men made rough, low laughs. Louise slapped his hand away, and glared at him like she was about to explode into flames. I felt a little pride at her bravery yet at the same time I panicked at her rashness.

"Get off me, you low-life!"

"Oh, she called us low-lives! I'm so scared now!" The men laughed loudly.

Damn, things were not good. I was about to jump the leader, but Wardes stopped me.

"Hey, familiar. You look like you just can't quiet down." He whispered.

"B-but... Louise..."

"What's the use in raising a racket now? Their cannons and arrows would just turn Louise, you, and all of us into Swiss cheese."

Damn, he's right. We can't get out making a racket. They only thing we can do now is wait…

"Alright, boys, take them all away. We can get a hell lot of ransom for this!"

---

And that's the end of that chapter. Hope you enjoyed, R&R!!


	15. The Meeting, and A blast from the past

Change my Destiny ch. 15

Alright guys, here's the next chapter I promised. R&R. Also, this chapter is super long only because I want to set it up for the next battle. I want to have as much space for it as possible so yeah.

Also the other day I received an email asking me whether or not the stuff I write is actually apart of my real life.

Please note that ALMOST ALL OF THIS IS FICTION. NOT EVERYTHING PART OF THIS FANFIC ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN MY LIFE, IT'S ALL PART OF THE PLOT/CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THAT I HAVE IN STORE. THANK YOU.

~CXP

---

"Great, now what are we going to do?" I asked, sitting down on the cold stone floor of our cell. Since our weapons were taken, the other two were pretty much useless. I had wanted to fight our way out using my Jujitsu, but Wardes stopped me before I could even try, saying something about killing all of us if we fight back.

Man, I could care less for the other people on this ship! We came here for a reason, and these pirates are not worth stopping for!

I sat down on the floor, clutching my arm. It was still sore and I couldn't move it well. Before I could do anything else, I felt Louise's worried gaze.

"What?" I asked.

"Your arm still hurts, doesn't it?" she said suspiciously.

"Don't worry, its only sore. I just need to stretch it for a bit."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm fine." I replied, smiling. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sat back down.

Our conversation was interrupted by the door opening. A fat man with a plate of food entered.

"Rice," he announced.

Well, at least they give us food.

I tried to take the plate, before the man suddenly lifted the plate up.

"Only after you answered a few questions."

Louise stood up in response. "Ask," she said imperiously.

"What business do you have in Albion?"

"Traveling," Louise said in a decisive voice, putting her hands on her hips.

"Noble of Tristein, why would you travel to Albion? Why would you be sightseeing in such place?"

"I do not have to tell you such things."

"Still pretending to be tough, despite being scared and crying?"

Louise turned her face away as the pirate started laughing, her face pale with suppressed wrath.

"Ah, very well, I guess I won't deprive you of your food. You're scrawny enough as it is-"

She snatched up the tray, apparently bent on chucking it at the fat man but I quickly grabbed her arms.

"Hey! What are you doing?! That's a waste of perfectly good food!" I scolded.

"I cannot eat meal prepared by such scum as these people!" she protested, her face red.

"It's not healthy to stay hungry," Wardes said.

Louise glared at the three of us for a moment longer before finally surrendering, scowling darkly. Three people ate the same soup from one plate, though in normal circumstances that would never happen.

Wardes leaned into the wall with a tired expression on his face. I sat on the ground across him. I winced a little involuntarily as my arm throbbed. Without a word, Louise tore up the sleeve of her shirt and soaked it in the jug of water.

"Here," she ordered, holding out the cloth. "Hold out your arm."

"It's alright. I already told you, it's only sore."

"It's not alright! Don't forget, you're _my _familiar and have to do as _I _say!"

I gave up; there was no arguing with her. I rolled up my sleeve and let her treat it.

It was silent as she tended to it. It felt good actually, but I didn't say anything. After some minutes, Louise looked up at me. I kept my gaze on the floor.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Is something wrong? What are you thinking about?"

"What's up with you recently?" I blurted out. "You've been unusually caring ever since my fight with that masked guy. Besides, you have more important duties to care about than me."

"That's true, but an injury is also very important! Is that clear?!"

At that moment, the door opened again. This time it was a thin pirate standing before us. The pirate looked at us with piercing eyes and asked, "Good evening. Are you the aristocrats going to Albion?"

None of us answered.

"Oi, oi, judging from your reluctance to respond, it's the truth. You might not think at first glance that we respect nobles, but thanks to the aristocrats, our business goes well."

"But, isn't this a warship of rebels?"

"No. Though we are employed, we are involved in the fifty-fifty relationship with both sides. We are related to both factions. So how is it? Are you nobles? If it is true, then you will be free to go at the closest port."

I sighed, relieved. Since Louise was an aristocrat everything could be settled peacefully then.

Louise, however, did not nod her head in agreement and kept on glaring at the pirate's forehead instead.

"How dare you have anything to do with those dirty rebels? Do not disregard Albion nobles. I myself am one of the noble families. Albion is still a kingdom, as the royal family is still a legitimate government in Albion. Because I am an aristocrat who comes here on behalf of Tristein, I am, in other words, an ambassador. Therefore, I demand an ambassador's treatment from you."

"Are you an idiot? Talking back like that is just gonna get you killed!" I muttered frantically into her ear. She took none too kindly to my warning.

"Who are you calling an idiot? The idiot is you! For trying to act cool while being injured so badly!" Louise angrily shouted.

"How is saying I'm fine being an idiot?!"

"Shut up! You are my familiar and you should listen to what I say! Anyways, show your arm!"

Our conversation was interrupted as the pirate's laughter filled the room. They obviously found the bickering between the noble and her pet enormously amusing.

"Honestly, I'm fine god dammit! How many times do I need to say it?"

"You're wrong. You're hurt, and I need to take care of you," Louise asserted.

"Why? I can take care of myself!"

"It's because you are my familiar... t-that's why..." she said, turning away. I could make out a blush on her face. I decided to stay quiet about that; I had a feeling she'd punish me if I mentioned it. What was up with her? She's never said something like that before…

"I'll go to report to the Boss then," said the pirate, still laughing as he left.

Silence filled the room again.

"Arm, show it," Louise said, breaking the silence.

"Don't act like that. Aren't there more things to be concerned of? Like what's going on right now?"

"I won't let such things take me down as long as we have the slightest chance to survive," Louise said decisively.

"...In any case, you lied to them," I noted.

"Don't talk nonsense. Are you seriously thinking that lying to such people is a bad thing?"

I sighed tiredly. This girl can be such a pain in the ass sometimes.

The door opened again. It was the same thin pirate.

"The boss calls."

---

The aisle passed up the narrow stairs and took us to a splendid room built on the upper part of the deck. Damn, these pirates must get a lot of loot.

Seated at a gorgeous dinner table was a single pirate, reclining lazily on his chair. He played idly with a cane that was topped with a large crystal, indicating that he was a mage himself. There were quite a few bookcases with thick leather-bound books lining the shelves and the whole room was lit by quite an impressive chandelier. You know, I was expecting the Boss's Room to look quite interesting, but not in this way.

He surveyed Louise with interest, who entered the room first. The thin pirate who had brought us there poked her slightly from behind.

"Hey, you, you are standing in front of the Boss, so greet him properly."

However, Louise just stood there glaring at the Boss as he smiled at her.

"Ah, I like a strong willed woman. You are not a child at all. "

"I demand the treatment of a royal ambassador." Louise, not paying attention to the Boss' words, replied.

"What would be that message you are trying to give?" asked the Boss, ignoring Louise's words.

"I won't tell you," she said adamantly, her voice scornful as only a noble can sound. I sucked in a breath, hoping the Boss wouldn't get offended.

But the Boss spoke to her in cheerful, humorous tones. "Are you willing to betray the nobles? Otherwise, even if you are a mage, I might not guarantee your safety even for considerable fee."

"I'd rather die," she declared.

"Hey, quit asking for a death wish already!" I muttered, grabbing her arm. Hey – was she shaking?

She was scared?

But even if she was scared, she kept on looking straight into the eyes of the Boss.

I then remembered my duel with Guiche.

Thinking about that now, I was kind of scared at that time. I thought I was going to die, but I didn't bow my head down. Maybe Louise is feeling the same?

Although her whole frame was trembling, Louise didn't give. She stood tall and proud, chin up, eyes staring determinedly ahead and refusing to give way.

This Louise looked really amazing.

"I'll ask you again. Are you willing to betray the nobles?"

Louise looked straight ahead. She crossed her arms, and put out her chest. 　 However, before she could say anything I stepped in.

"She said her answer already."

"And who are you?"

The Boss looked at me with piercing glare, clearly meant to intimidate. Sorry, but that won't work. I glared back with equal force.

"I'm her familiar. The name's Michael, got it?"

"Familiar?"

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

The Boss started laughing.

"I knew that Tristainian nobles were weird but not so helplessly. Oh my, my stomach hurts," said the Boss as he stood up laughing. What was with the sudden change in atmosphere? One look around the room showed that I wasn't the only one puzzled.

"Oh, I am sorry. As a noble I should properly introduce myself as well," said the Boss. He stood, and his curly black hair suddenly came off. It was a wig. Off came the eye patch and the beard as well. Standing in front of us was a young blonde male. He bowed lowly, as only a born and bred noble could.

"I am a general of the Albion Royal Air Force. I am also the commander of our country's fleet. Though to tell the truth, this warship named "Eagle" is the only ship left in our fleet. A powerless fleet I must say. Oh dear, even people from the street could easily beat it."

The young man before us straightened with a smile on his face.

"I am the prince of the Albion's Kingdom, Wales Tudor."

Louise's mouth opened wide with surprise, as did I. This guy was the crown prince? Didn't see that coming...

Wales smiled charmingly and pulled out a chair for Louise to sit in.

"Welcome to Albion, Ambassador. Now, let's talk about your message."

However, Louise was still speechless. She just stood there dumbfounded, unable to move, still ogling at the prince. He laughed at the sight.

"I must apologize for my rude treatment of you. You must have many questions."

"Damn right we do," I said, still staring.

"Why do I dress up as a pirate? Is that what you're wondering? No, the rich rebels sent a lot of support to the rebellion, and it is a basic war tactic to cut enemy's supply line. Even if I have to do that in such an undignified way as to dress myself up as a dirty pirate," Wales said laughing again. "No, it was really impolite to treat an ambassador like that. But you have to admit you don't look much like a royal messenger yourself. And I never thought about support from other country's nobles. Yet I still should apologize."

Even after Wales' words, Louise's mouth still kept opening and closing without uttering a single sound. Looks like she hadn't been mentally prepared to meet the prince so suddenly.

"We brought a secret letter from Her Highness Princess Henrietta," Wardes said while gracefully bowing.

"Oh, from Her Highness. And you are?"

"Captain of Tristein's Griffin Knights, Viscount Wardes. And this is Louise Françoise de la Baume le Blanc de la Vallière, the ambassador sent by Her Highness, Your Highness." Of course, I didn't get an introduction. Being a familiar automatically stripped you of any human rank. How degrading…

"Indeed! Such a splendid noble. And I only have my ten bodyguards to greet you, such a miserable greeting. Then, do you still have the secret letter?"

Louise panicking took out Henrietta's letter from her clothes. However, she paused before giving it to Wales. After a few moments of hesitation she opened her mouth.

"B-but..."

"Is there a problem?"

"Excuse me for my impertinence, but are you really the prince?"

Wales laughed, not at all offended. "Oh dear, you won't believe me even though I showed you my true face. I am Wales. And I am really a prince. I will show evidence then."

He held out his right hand. There was a ruby ring glistening on his fourth finger. Gently, he took Louise's right hand, on which the Ruby of Water shone. The prince brought it close to his ruby ring. There was a strange rippling noise as a light kindled in both the rings and then there was a rainbow light shining above the two hands.

"What's happening?" Louise gasped.

"This ring belongs to the Albion royal family, the ruby of the Wind, while that one belongs to Henrietta from Tristein royal family and is the ruby of the Water. Am I right?"

Louise nodded, still gazing at the translucent light above their hands.

"Water and the wind make the rainbow. The rainbow that forms between royal families," Wales explained. "Now I trust that I have proved that I am who I claim to be."

Louise took a step back; the light disappeared. "I am sorry for my impoliteness, your Highness,"

Louise handed Wales the letter and curtseyed deeply. Wardes bowed as well, and I clumsily followed suit.

After looking at the letter lovingly, Wales kissed the signature. The seal was carefully removed, the paper inside was taken out, and Wales began to read.

For some time he kept on reading it with serious expression.

"Is the princess marrying? My beloved... cousin."

Wardes bowed silently in affirmation. Wales dropped the glance to the letter again and smiled when the last line was read.

"Understood. The princess is informing me with this that she wants you to return that letter. And more importantly, the princess also hopes that I return a letter that I once received from her. However, the letter in question... it's not in my hands right now. It's in the castle in Newcastle. I didn't want to bring the princess' letter to this pirate ship," Wales said laughingly.

"So, even though it's troublesome, please come with me to Newcastle."

---

Three hours after that, the warship took us to the ragged coastline of Albion. A big castle stood on the very edge of a steep cliff. I wondered how it didn't fall.

"Why are we going downwards?" I asked as the ship turned away from the city.

Wales pointed at the sky behind the castle where a huge ship was floating. Luckily, it couldn't spot us, seeing as we were on the other side of the clouds.

"Warship of rebels."

It could be described only as a huge ship - it was twice as long as the Eagle with an incredible number of sails, and it seemed like it was aiming for Newcastle port. With no warning, it opened fire, aiming at the castle. The first cannonball crashed into the wall, flame suddenly bursting into the air. The shockwave from impact could be felt on the deck of the Eagle, thrumming deeply in the wooden walls and floors.

"This ship named "Royal Sovereign" once belonged to the fleet of our country. Yet, when rebels took control over it, they changed the name to "Lexington". It was named in honor of the battlefield where those guys snatched the first victory from us," Wales said with a sad smile. "This warship keeps a constant blockade of Newcastle from the sky. It shoots at the castle from time to time, not in order to do some damage, but just to annoy us."

I looked through the cloud at the warship. There were an uncountable number of cannons on each side, and a dragon was painted on the surface of the ship.

"It has 108 cannons and really looks like a fire breathing dragon at times. The whole rebellion started from this ship. We can't match it, so it's better to sail through this cloud and remain unseen. We can reach Newcastle from the other side, as there is a secret port that only we know."

---

It suddenly became pitch-dark when ship went under the continent, as the landmass blocked the sunlight. We couldn't see a thing through the thick mass of clouds that we were sailing through. Just how were we supposed to get around?

Wales explained that rebels never went under the continent because traveling in such a way was dangerous. Cold, damp and chilly air surrounded us. I can see why they didn't.

"For Navigators of the royal air force, it's easy to navigate by relying on topographical maps, using magic of light and measurements," Wales explained.

We sailed for a while and eventually reached a section which opened into black hole overhead. Illuminated by the magic light from the mast, it was really pretty.

"Stop here for now."

"Aye, aye sir, stop here!"

Wales' order was given to the still energetic and lively crew. The sails were taken off and the Eagle started to drift right under the hole.

"Slowly increase speed."

"Aye, aye sir, slowly increase the speed!"

The Eagle rose slowly toward the hole. Following just behind was the Marie Galante that navigators of the Eagle had boarded.

Wardes nodded, "You are definitely not sky pirates, Your Highness."

"We are precisely sky pirates, Viscount."

---

Light could be seen inside the hole and that's where the Eagle headed. The warship arrived at a secret port of Newcastle. The interior of the huge limestone cave was covered with white moss. Many people were waiting on the quay. Ropes were thrown to the sailors to tie down the Eagle and finally the wooden gangway was attached.

Wales hurried us to go down the gangway. A tall and aged mage approached us as we reached the end.

"Ha ha, wonderful military results, right, Your Highness?" The old mage seemed to appear out of nowhere before the Eagle.

"Rejoice, Paris. Sulfur, it is sulfur!" When Wales shouted so, around him gathered cheering soldiers.

"Ooh! Sulfur! This is for the honor of our guardianship!" The old mage began to cry.

"I served for sixty years under the previous king... There won't be such happy days again, Your Highness. After the revolt happened it all turned into sorrow... Even with sulfur we won't make it..."

Wales laughed with a smile. "Even if we'll be defeated, we'll show the rebels the royal family's courage and honor."

"A glorious death. My old bones are trembling with excitement. It was reported that the rebels are going to attack the castle tomorrow. It's really all or nothing now, Your Highness."

"With our last breath we'll put their soldiers to shame!"

Wales and the others were laughing, seemingly at ease even as they talked about their deaths.

"And who are these people?" The old mage named Paris asked Wales after seeing us.

"This is an ambassador from Tristein, Louise. The one with the sword is her Familiar, and the man is Wardes, captain of the Griffin Knights of Tristein. They came because of an important business related to the kingdom."

This Paris person looked surprised for a moment, but soon a smile returned to his face as he bowed politely.

"So you are an ambassador. Paris Chamberlain at your service, madam. It's nice that you came all the way to Albion. Though it might not be much, we will have a small feast tonight. By all means - please come."

"Thank you," Louise accepted his offer gracefully. She curtseyed and Wales bowed. I followed suit, hastily and clumsily. I had to remember to ask Louise to teach me how to bow when we got out of this mess.

Wardes, Louise and I followed Wales to his room. The prince's room was situated behind the kitchen room and it was rather ordinary looking if you ask me. It had a wooden bed, table and a pair of chairs, as well as a painting on the wall that illustrated a battle scene.

The prince sat on the chair and opened a drawer of the desk. He took out a little jewelry box and then took the necklace around his neck. A small key hung around it, which he inserted into the lock of the little box. There was a small click as it unlocked and he held it out for Louise, who curtseyed as she accepted it.

"Thank you, your Highness", she murmured as she straightened.

Wales, who had noticed Louise looking at the box, spoke embarrassedly.

"Strongbox."

Louise opened the box, and I peered inside. Resting on a small piece of cloth was the letter. It seemed to be from the princess too. Wales took it out with love and re-read it, as though he was trying to commit it to memory. That letter looked older than it should from being constantly re-read. I glanced at the jewelry box again. Huh – there was a portrait at the bottom of it. I made out a girl with short dark hair before Louise gently closed the lid.

After reading it Wales gently folded it and put it into an envelope, which he handed to Louise.

"This is the letter I received from the princess. I am returning it as well."

"Thank you, your Highness," she said, curtseying deeply again.

"The Eagle will take you back to Tristein tomorrow, as we won't be using it in the battle."

Louise opened her mouth decisively after looking for some time at the letter.

"But, Your Highness... What did you have in mind when you mentioned a glorious defeat? You don't mean…" Louse asked, trailing off. Wales answered it very easily.

"It is so. My army has three hundred men while the enemy force is comprised of fifty thousand. There is no chance of victory. So let us at least die in glory."

Damn, Talk about 300 the movie. If a messenger from the enemy forces was kicked down a hole, I would have totally laughed thinking "THIS IS ALBION!"

Louise looked down.

"Your Highness, do you also speak of yourself when you talk about dying in battle?"

"Of course. I will die as well."

Louise's shoulders dropped when she curtseyed deeply to Wales.

"Your Highness... Forgive my impoliteness, but there are a few more things I have to say."

"What is it?"

"What is the content of the letter?"

"Louise, don't you think that's a bit too far?" I protested. Indeed, the content of the letter was a personal thing after all. But Louise, after asking Wales, looked up with determination.

"When the princess gave me this task, she looked like she was worrying someone…like a lover. And in the box there was a portrait of the princess, and after seeing the gloomy look on your face after you kissed and read the letter... Are you and the princess..."

Wales smiled. He guessed what Louise wanted to say.

"Do you want to say that cousin Henrietta and I have a love relationship?"

Louise nodded, embarassed. "It seems so. Forgive my inpertinence, but I couldn't help but notice. If so, this letter that Her Highness has requested you to return is..."

After putting his hand to his forehead and making a gesture, as if worried for a moment about what he should and shouldn't say, Wales spoke.

"A love letter. Just like you guessed. Foolishly, if this love letter were to be passed to the imperial household of Germania as Henrietta informed by letter, it might become a great threat. In the letter she is swearing eternal love for me in the name of Founder Brimir. It is like an oath when marrying, love sworn in the name of the founder. If this letter is brought to light, she will be accused of committing the crime of bigamy. The emperor of Germania will be sure to break off the engagement with the princess who violated the rules. Then, there would be no alliance. Tristein might be politically ignored by other countries' noble families."

"So Princess Henrietta and Your Highness were in love with each other?" Louise asked timidly, breaking the awkward silence.

"It's an old story."

Louise suddenly grabbed Wales' hand, surprising all of us.

"Your Highness, return! Return to Tristein!"

Wardes abruptly put his hand on her shoulder, eyes flashing warningly. This did not stop Louise.

"I beg you! Please, come to Tristein with us!"

"It cannot be done," Wales said gently, smiling ruefully.

"Your Highness, I disagree. Princess Henrietta would think so as well! Didn't it say so in the letter? I have known the princess since our childhood; I know very well how she thinks. The princess does not desert the people she loves! Your Highness, you didn't say it, but I am sure the princess told you to run away as well!"

Wales shook his head. "There is not such line written."

"Your Highness!"

"I am from a royal family. I am not lying. There is no telling by the princess for me to run away in the letter, I swear it by my honor," Wales said as if he was in pain. It was as if Louise's words had been blows to him.

"Henrietta is a princess. She has to give priority to the country rather than me."

Louise understood what he meant with that. Even I could understand it. Even if Wales returned to Henrietta, other nobles in his situation would never support it. She looked down, just when Wales placed his hands on her shoulder.

"You are an honest girl, Vallière. You have honest, clear and kind eyes. But let me give you some advice. It's not too good for an ambassador to be honest like that."

Wales smiled again.

"However, you are a perfect ambassador to a ruined country like ours, as the government that will be destroyed tomorrow is more honest than anyone, since it doesn't have anything to defend besides its honor."

After that he pulled something out of his pocket. A pocket watch.

"Ah, it is time for our little party. Since you are the last guests of our kingdom, I would like you to attend it as well."

Louise gave him one last burning look before she inclined her head. "Of course. We are very grateful, Your Highness. We shall make our leave now."

Louise curtseyed one last time; I bowed the best that I could. With that, we made towards the door.

"Wardes, are you coming?" Louise asked as she paused in the doorway. He shook his head.

"I shall remain a while longer. I have some things to discuss with His Highness."

"Very well…" Louise nodded and we left.

"What was that about?" I asked as soon as we were out of earshot.

"I don't know, but it must be important," she concluded.

"Right…" Maybe it was just me, but it seemed sort of suspicious. Then I remembered my fight with the masked man. He fought in a way that was very similar to Wardes. Was he his apprentice? Did he train under him? Or was it…?

"Say Louise, is it possible to make a clone?" I asked.

"Umm, with wind magic it may be possible, but I've never seen it done."

"I see…"

---

The party was held in the castle's hall. The king of Albion, James I, sat on the throne, and watched the nobles and vassals who had gathered through narrowed eyes.

Although everyone amassed here would be dead within the next day, it was still quite a feast and the table was filled with dishes after dishes of rich food. As exciting as it looked, I didn't feel like going. I wanted to rest. I was tired from the travel. So instead I headed to the rooms that Wales had provided us for the night.

As I walked towards the exit, someone tapped my shoulder from behind. Out of pure reaction I immediately turned and grabbed the man's wrist, but let go as I found out who it was.

"I have to tell you one thing," said Wardes, looking at me with firm eyes.

"What is it?"

"Louise and I shall be wed here tomorrow morning."

My body instantly froze.

"Excuse me?"

"Louise and I will be getting married here tomorrow," he repeated slowly, enunciating each word clearly.

What? Married? When was this decided? Does Louise know?

As if he could read my mind, Wardes answered my questions for me.

"Because we want to ask that brave Crown Prince Wales to act as go-between of our marriage. The Crown Prince pleasantly agreed. We will hold a ceremony before the decisive battle."

Unable to say anything, I nodded.

"Will you come?" Wardes asked.

I didn't say anything. I was too shocked from the news.

"Will you come?" Wardes repeated, snapping me back to reality.

I worked to get my mouth moving. I wet my lips and cleared my throat before I managed to say, "…maybe. I'll…I'll think about it."

"If not, then you can leave at once on a ship tomorrow. Louise and I will return on my griffon."

"But isn't too long distance for this flight?"

"Only if you would fly fast without resting," Wardes answered.

If that was safe, then why the hell didn't we do that in the first place?! I wanted to say, but the words did not come out. Could not come out.

"Well then, I need to go now."

"A-alright."

Wardes left. I watched him go. He turned the corner and I slumped against the wall.

Louise is getting married…

---

I walked through a pitch-dark passage with a candlestick mindlessly. I wasn't quite sure where I was headed, but I got the impression I was headed towards my room. The moons were shining through an opened window on the way of the passage.

There was a girl who walked alone in the moonlight. She had long blond-pink hair and sparkling pink eyes. Unable to look away, I stood there, quietly admiring her beauty.

"Louise…" I called softly.

She turned to me, and I saw tears in her eyes.

She was crying? What for?

She tried to wipe her tears away, but they kept flowing back. Her lips were trembling as she struggled not to cry. I walked up to her, ready to talk before she rushed up to me. Her arms embraced me, and her head leaned on my chest as if she had just broken down.

What the hell? Now this was just whack! What is up with her today?

Unable to think of anything else, I let my free hand wrapped around her shoulders.

"Louise... What's wrong?" I asked awkwardly.

Louise didn't answer but pressed her face into my chest, her grip tightening as she started to shudder and sob. I tightened my grip as well.

What happened? Foe something to make Louise do this, it must be serious. She was sobbing like a girl, and she was clinging to me as one would if they lost a loved one. She was hurt, and in the state she was in, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"Louise…hey…Louise, what's the matter?"

"Those people... Why, why did they choose to die? Even though there is the princess... Even if Wales loves her...Why does Crown Prince Wales choose death?" Louise demanded, her words coming out haltingly and forced through her sobs.

Ah, so that's what this is about.

"He said that it was to defend someone important," I answered softly.

"What is more important in this world than the person you love?"

I couldn't respond. She didn't understand what it felt like. I though, understood it all too well.

"… I once asked myself the same question."

Louise looked up at me. Her sobbing stopped, although the tears still flowed from her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Her grip loosened, and her eyes locked in place with mine. We stood there for an indeterminable amount of time, just staring.

I sighed.

"I told you once didn't I? There was once a time when I loved someone," I said, looking away. Should I tell her? What would she think after I told her? Would she understand?

"Go on." She urged, looking at me with firm eyes.

Looks like I'm going to tell her after all.

"Alright… I guess its time I told you… my story."

---

2100 hours, October 30, 2001 (Military Calendar)

Toronto Canada, Planet Earth

It was nighttime. The cold, damp air wrapped around my skin as I walked down the narrow alleyway. I needed to get home.

"Man, Dad's gonna scold me again…" I mumbled to myself as I climbed over the metal fence. The full moon was shining through the thin clouds, brightening my path. Not a sound filled the air apart from my footsteps on the damp sidewalk.

Looking at the blanket of stars above, I was lost in thought when the sound of footsteps cut through the air like a sword. I stopped, and slowly looked around, looking for any signs of life.

Nothing.

Thinking of all the possibilities, I started to jog lightly.

I heard the footsteps behind me again. Not daring to turn around, I quickened my pace into a steady run towards my house. It was all in vain, as the person was catching up quick.

Unable to run any longer, I stopped to catch my breath. I spun around, ready to face whoever was following me. Whoever it was had slowed down as well, and was breathless. I stared hard at the person, trying to figure out who it was. I didn't recognize the figure; he or she was too far. The person moved closer, and I stepped back.

"Michael? What's wrong? Its me!" called out an all too familiar female voice.

"Huh? Amy?" I exclaimed, relieved.

"Yeah, its me. I was calling you, but apparently you didn't hear me." She replied, throwing back her long, brown hair. The familiar green eyes I knew and loved stared back at me, as she smiled. An angel's smile.

"Umm, right. Anyway, what are you doing following me? It's already nine. My parents will get mad if I stay out too late." I explained. She nodded.

"Yeah, I know, me too. Its just that its really important." She blushed after saying this.

Why though? I wonder what it is…

"So what is it then?" I asked.

"Come with me." Her voice was very serious.

We walked along the alleyway again, and arrived at an abandoned construction site. A construction site? Was this going to be our new meeting spot or something?

Amy's voice broke my thoughts.

"Umm, we're here." She mumbled. Amy abruptly came to a stop, and turned towards me. She had this weird look on her face, almost as if something was about to hit her. Her cheeks were tinted red, and she avoided eye contact with me.

"Uhh, Amy? What is it you wanted to tell me?" I asked again. Really, it makes me wonder just what she's thinking sometimes…

"Well… you see… it's just that…" she stuttered. Her voice was unsteady, and she started shaking. She took a deep breath, before starting over.

"Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Huh? Oh yeah of course. It was at the park wasn't it? I was sitting on the swing by myself, while you were running around, kicking sand everywhere." I laughed, remembering.

"Haha yeah. Then I fell on my face and started crying. That's when you came up to me." She giggled.

"I still remember the look on your face. Priceless." I laughed again, and she pouted before pushing me lightly.

"Hey, I told you to forget that!"

"Too bad, its stuck to my mind like glue!"

We both laughed at that moment, unable to control ourselves any longer. As it died down, silence filled the air again.

"… I'm really glad I met you that day." Amy spoke, smiling.`

"Me too. We've been best friends since haven't we?"

"Uh huh." The best of best friends…" she mumbled. Her face suddenly became depressed, and I looked at her with worry.

"Amy? What's wrong?"

"Well…" she started, before turning around.

She was silent for a long time, and I was wondering just what it was she wanted to tell me.

"… Ever since then, I've always had his weird feeling. Whenever I was around you, I always felt like I was satisfied with life. Whenever you weren't around, I felt like it was the end of the world… "

"I still don't see what you're getting at." I replied, clueless at what she was saying.

She sighed.

"You always were an idiot." She laughed.

"Hey, I'm no idiot, I just don't see what you're saying."

"And that's exactly why you're an idiot. You don't see what I'm saying.

She got me there.

"Well, anyway that's not the point. Its just the truth is…"

"The truth is…" I urged her on.

"I love you Michael!" she yelled out, her high voice piercing my ears. But I was too shocked to feel the pain.

Amy… loves me?

"… What?" was all that I could say? I was too confused. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say. She then looked a bit confused, before she smiled. She walked up to me, and wrapped her slender arms around my shoulders. The warm touch of her skin against mine made me shiver a bit.

"I love you Michael… I've always loved you, and I always will." She whispered in my ear.

Then suddenly, without thinking my hands encircled her waist, and I felt my hearts doing back flips.

"I… I love you too Amy." Something in my head was making my mind flutter with thoughts about her. Unknown feelings that I didn't understand suddenly became clear as I embraced her.

I was in love.

I pulled away for a while, looking deeply into the eyes that I had fallen for… Her bright green eyes, the same eyes I had treasured for 3 years. She smiled, placing a warm hand on my cheek. I couldn't help but smile back. We were lost inside each other's eyes, not wanting to ruin such a beautiful moment.

Slowly, our faces drew closer. Nearing each other's faces so close, that I could feel her breath brush my face.

Our lips were but inches away. Only a few more seconds. My eyes closed, preparing myself, ready to taste her. My mind was focused on one thing, and that was experience. I wanted to experience this feeling, more and more only to never get tired of it.

This was it.

Our lips were close… so close…

Before a loud voice filled my ears.

"LOOK OUT!"

_**FLASH!**_

A light blinded my vision, and I couldn't see anything. Before I knew it, a sudden force pushed me aside.

_Screech… Slam!_

My body slid onto the ground, feeling cold instantly. I fell onto my back, eyes shut tight from the pain. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes again, pushing myself up with what little strength I had. What just happened?

It couldn`t be. That was the only thing I thought as I opened my eyes. My breathing hitched and stopped. My heart begged for me to believe this was a nightmare that I could wake up from.

However, reality is rather cruel.

There, on the road before me lay Amy. Bleeding, pale, and unmoving. She looked lifeless on the ground, the driver of the car that had collided with her bending down, calling an ambulance.

"No… Amy…!" I howled.

I tried to run, but my legs gave way. Desperate, I crawled forward up to her body. I pushed the man aside, hoping she was alive. I prayed to God that she was still breathing.

She wasn't.

Tears welled up in my eyes. As they fell, I pulled her colorless body towards mine in a trembling embrace.

How could this have happened?

I had just achieved happiness.

I had just gotten everything I truly wanted.

Now it was gone.

She was gone.

I felt weak, wanting to die. Why couldn't it have been me who got hit? Why did Amy push me? Why didn't I even notice the car coming? I would have rather died to know Amy would have lived than to see what I was seeing now.

Was that what she was thinking?

It didn't matter. Amy was dead. I felt that no one could ever replace her. The hole in my heart that she once filled would now be an endless gap of nothingness.

I was breaking down. My body shook hard, and tears fell steadily as I shook my head, praying this was all a dream.

"_Please… Let this be a dream…"_

The arms that once held me, the lips that were about to kiss mine, were gone. No, I couldn't accept that.

"No, not now. Not now Amy. Not now," I muttered like a prayer, shaking her a bit.

"Please, Amy. Wake up. Wake up and tell me you're all right. Please, Amy… I love you Amy…. I love you… wake up… please…" I desperately called out to her. I wanted her to hear my voice. I wanted her to wake up.

My emotions moved from desperation to turmoil as the hope within me faded away.

I didn't know what to do.

The only thing left in me was to let it all out. The sadness and pain I felt inside my grieving heart… The name I wanted to call so dearly…

"AMY!!!"

"…. And that's my story. Amy died knowing that I would live on. She knew that I would move on…" She knew that I could find someone else to fill that hole in my heart…I whispered, placing my hand against my chest.

This is it, the final moment. There's no turning back.

I looked at Louise, who was speechless. She looked as though she wasn`t sure what to feel. I couldn't blame her though. She was silent for a very long time, as I let her take this all in.

"Louise… I know this is a bit much. I know that you're probably still thinking about Amy, but I want to let you know that it's all in the past. I want you to know that I've moved on. She wanted me to live and find someone else. And… I've found that person."

This was embarrassing, almost as if it was straight out of a romance novel. But it was the truth.

This was how I felt.

"I love you Louise. I want to be with you forever. I don't care whether or not you get married; I don't care whether or not you find a way home for me. I don't care as long as I can be with you. I risked my life because I loved you, and I risked my feelings because I wanted you to feel the same way. All I wanted was…"

"W-Why?" she hissed.

"W-What?" I asked, confused.

"Why should I love you? Why should you love me? Tell me!" Louise snapped. Her eyes blazed and her voice was edging towards hysteria. "Do you know how many times I screamed, how much pain my heart felt, how many tears I cried since I met you? Huh? Do you?"

Her head shot up, and I could see tears fall from her eyes. Her body shook with anger and grief, as she stood up.

I followed suit, stopping her in place. I held my breath, as the aura she had were sending me chills. Her eyes met with mine, fire forming in her pink eyes.

"You want an answer right Michael?," She had on a serious face as her tears wetted it. Horror and shock covered her true beauty.

I nodded, dumbstruck.

"You want my answer Michael? Is that right? Well I have an answer. I`ll tell you it."

My heart gave a little bound. My hopes at least were a little high. Just a little.

"My answer is…"

My heart was beating really fast. My breath was still held, as I awaited her answer.

But deep in my heart…

I already knew what it was.

"No."

Everything seemed to darken, Louise the only thing I could see. Her angry, melancholic face. I felt my heart scrunch up, feeling it twist and turn. She looked away again, pushing me aside as she ran down the long corridor.

Love her, protect her, be the boy she always wanted. The things I wanted were once again taken from me. He gripped my hands, thinking of what to do.

But there was nothing that I could do. Louise…

Was already broken beyond repair.

---

Louise's POV

_Why me? Why did he have to love me?_

I asked myself this question over and over, as I sat down on the cold bench of the now empty mess hall. Dead silence surrounded me, as I cried openly to myself.

Why did he have to say that?

Why did he have to make me feel this way?

I looked furtively around to double-check that I was alone. I was. There was nobody in sight, least of all that stupid jerk who was the last person I wanted to hear this. I clutched myself tighter, rocking back and forth on the bench.

"I love you too, Michael… " I whispered.

Whenever I'm with you, whenever I touch you, my heart pounds in my chest. Whenever you are kind to me, I feel like my face is on fire. Whenever you protect me, hold me, I want to stay like that forever. I may try to lie to myself, but in the end I only get hurt admitting that fact. I didn't want to admit it but…

"I love you…"

I smiled to myself, crying out of pure happiness. I felt as though a million of my burdens have been lifted. I felt calmer and more relaxed. My sobbing had stopped; just the tears of joy fell from my eyes.

Only to be struck down once more.

I love you, but I can't be with you.

You are a commoner, and I am a noble. My parents would surely reject it. There's no way a commoner could marry a noble…

My thoughts were interrupted as a shadow approached me. I immediately stood, taking out my wand.

"Whose there!" I called out, hastily wiping away my tears. But before I could do anything else, a purple light blinded me.

"You will not escape, descendant of the void…" a male voice whispered in my ears.

The light seemed to intensify until all I could see was blinding violet and I lost control of my body. My limbs wouldn't move, and I couldn't speak. I tried to scream for help but I couldn`t.

What was going on?!

"I didn't want to do this, but it seems the circumstances have forced me," came another voice. Another shadow approached, revealing himself.

_It's the masked man!_ I redoubled my attempts to move, to run, to scream but I remained limp as a rag doll.

"Come to me, my Louise. Tomorrow, we shall be married." The masked man spoke. Like a puppet, I felt body move on its own. I tried to run, but I could not. My body was under control by that purple light.

He then removed his mask. When I saw the face behind the mask, I felt as though I had been hit by lightning.

_Wardes!_

"Come to me, my Louise," he called softly, holding out a hand. To my growing horror, I took it.

I tried to run, I tried to escape. But I could not. My body walked willingly with my kidnapper, and I could only think one thing.

_Michael… !_

---

And that's the end of that chapter. Phew, this is a long one. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks for reading, and REVIEW!


	16. Rematch! Part 1

Change my Destiny 16: Truth Revealed

Yo guys, here's the next chapter of Change my destiny! I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!!! I actually planned a super big fight in this one, but I haven't updated in so long I decided to put it in the next one, since right now my brain is being a total ass and not receiving ideas. So sorry if it wasn't really what you expected.

Also, I got a review giving me some constructive criticism. Since it was by an anonymous person, I couldn't reply. Anyway, to answer your question, I don't really get what you mean by "Self Righteous". If you haven't noticed, Michael is only smart when it comes to battle, and women. He has no experience with anything else whatsoever. Like it stated in the first chapter, his life was very boring and consisted of only so many things, so of course he is going to act like that. The main character is ME. I know what I act like, and I know for a fact that I am very self-righteous. Also, any person from modern times wouldn't like to be treated like shit. I, just happen to be one of the people who have less patience for that kind of thing.

Hope that answered your question thanks for the criticism, and now let's get on with the story!

---

The next morning…

Within Newcastle's port inside the cave, I stood in a queue to board the Eagle, surrounded by rushing people that were not able to leave with Marie Galante.

"Man, everyone's in such a rush today. Not that I can blame them really…" I mumbled to myself. As I did, I couldn't help but sigh.

Louise…

"Louise?" I had called, knocking on her room door. "It's me, Michael. Are you there?"

"Is there something you wanted?" I turned to see Wardes. Seriously, how the hell does he get behind me so much? He gave the expression "popped out of thin air" a whole new meaning.

"Yeah… Say, D'you know where Louise is? I wanted to talk to her about some…stuff." The memory of our conversation came flooding back. Talking to Louise wasn't exactly gonna be a walk in the park…

"To Louise?"

"That's right."

Wardes stared at me for a moment before he said calmly, "I am sorry – I must ask you not to disturb my fiancée. She is sleeping at the moment."

"Is she okay?" I asked immediately. "She's not sick or anything, right?"

"She is fine," he brushed it off casually. "I am sorry but you cannot enter her room." He added, stepping in front of the door as I made for the doorknob.

"Why-"

"I must ask you to leave her be. Louise needs quiet and sleep. She is tired, that's all," he said firmly and that was the end of that. Now that I think about it, Wardes didn't seem to be worried. It was strange…he almost looked like he had accomplished something big.

Seriously, something about that guy really bothers me…

"Ouch!" I blinked and rubbed at my eyes, which were watering as though somebody had just kicked sand into them. "What the hell?"

"What is it, Partner?" Delfringer piped up from my back.

"My eyes…" I mumbled. The pain had gone but my eyesight was all funny – everything looked all blurred and fuzzy. I haven't been on my computer for so long. How did my eyes get so bad all of a sudden?

"What? Your eyes?"

"Something is wrong with my eyes…" I replied, rubbing them. Didn't work though, and I tried again. My right one was somewhat normal again but the left one was still fuzzy. It felt like it was getting worse.

"Maybe it's because you are tired?"

"Tired? Far from it. This is different. Something is really…!"

My eyesight suddenly distorted like a whirlpool and somehow split. My right eye still saw the port and crowd, which I stood by. My left eye, however, saw nothing but darkness. No, not quite – if I squinted, it seemed like I could see the faint outline of…of…

"What the hell is going on?" I asked Delfringer. What the hell happened to my eye?

"Your eye turned red Partner…"

Red? You mean like the Sharingan? Freaking epic!

"Red? That's epic! I-"

The words caught in my throat, stuck and then were lost as the darkness left my left eye and I could finally see clearly. But it wasn't the same thing that my right eye was seeing.

I could see the interior of a church, with light pouring through huge stained glass windows. It was weird – I seemed to be seeing things through a thin veil of lace. I automatically made to move it out of the way only to have my right hand close on nothing. Oh yeah…it was my right eye that was showing where I really was. As for my left eye though…

The view was moving up and down slightly, as though I was walking, which was weird, seeing as I was standing still. I blinked as the view suddenly turned left and then gasped.

"Wardes…! I can see Wardes!" I cried. Why was I seeing Wardes? Just what was going on? "Del, what's going on?"

Delfringer was silent for a moment, before saying thoughtfully, "Perhaps it is one of the abilities of the Gandalf. A Familiar can be granted the ability to use their Master's eyes and ears when in danger."

"Wait a second, that means Louise is in danger?! I thought she was supposed to be sleeping – dammit, I have to find her!"

"Then watch," Del told me.

I closed my right eye, so I wouldn't be distracted, and using the ability, I brought everything in my left eye to focus. It was a sort of tingly feeling, like the after effects of getting shocked. In any case, it was really weird.

"I'm definitely inside a chapel…still don't know what's going on though…"

"Why don't you try using your master's ears as well?"

"No need to tell me that."

---

Louise POV

"Well then, shall we begin?" Wales's pleasant voice said.

_What's going on? Why can't I control myself?_

I was in a church chapel, with light pouring in through the huge stained-glass windows. There was something soft and fragrant in my hands – flowers? And was this a veil I was wearing?

"The groom, Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis Wardes. Will you, under the oath of our forefather, Brimir love, honor, and vow to take her as your wife?"

Wales! I suddenly remembered – he had knocked me out! What was going on?

"I do."

_What am I doing?_

"The Bride, Duke la Vallière's third daughter Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Vallière. Will you love him, honor him, and vow to take him as your husband?"

_This is the wedding ceremony? I'm going to be married? _

_NO! _

I reached up to tear off the white veil, to drop the bouquet and to run-

Only I didn't. I stood, frozen like a statue in front of Wardes. There was a cold gleam in his eyes as he watched me. With a chill, I felt a strange compulsion take control as my lips parted and I drew breath.

"I….I…" My tongue stumbled and faltered, immobile as I struggled not to form the words "I do". Was it Wardes who was controlling me? It didn't matter.

I won't say it! I won't!

I have to resist!

"Is there something wrong?" Wales asked.

"I'm sorry, it seems she is a bit nervous."

"Well, that is to be expected. Then I shall ask again."

If my body had still been my own to control I would have gasped from the force of the compulsion that seized me. I would not resist it this time – I could not!

_No… I… I can't stop it!"_

"I…I… I d-"

_Save me! Somebody! Anybody! _

A loud thud filled the air. Followed by three more. _Boom. Boom. Boom. _Wales turned away distractedly. "What was that? Was someone knocking?"

"It must be your imagination. Let us continue," Wardes urged.

"I….I…I d-"

_Please…save me…_

_Michael!_

A loud crash filled the air.

---

"_What's going on? Why can't I control myself?"_ It was Louise's voice, high and shrill with fright and confusion that spoke, echoing in my mind, fueling my own fury and desperation.

"Damn it, Damn it, Damn it! Louise is going to be wed to Wardes?!" I screamed as I ran down the dirt pathway.

"_What am I doing? Is this the wedding ceremony? I'm going to be married?" _I felt her stab of horror, barely distinguishable from my own panic. "_NO_!"

I have to save her!

"Delfringer, which way was the church again!?" I demanded.

"The man said it was down this pathway. Hurry!"

"I'm trying!" I yelled, running, heedless of whomever I shoved aside in my hurry.

"Oi, what in blazes d'you think you're doing?" a man yelled as I shoved past him brutally. A bunch of burly men – his friends probably – ganged up on me, blocking the way and flexing their muscles threatening.

"Get out of my way!" I growled.

"Think you're some kind of punk do you?" The man yelled.

I didn't have time for this. In one fluid movement, I drew Del and he whipped effortlessly from my sheath to point ominously at the loudmouthed man, who suddenly gaped.

"MOVE IT!" I screamed at him. They bolted and I ran, using the extra speed that the power of Gandalf gave me.

"_I…I…"_

"_I won't say it! I won't! I have to resist!" _

Time was running out!

And finally, the church came into view. The large glass stained picture rested on the church side, and the pathway lead to what I guessed was the entrance.

"There it is!" I cried out. Using my running start, I rammed myself shoulder first into the 4-meter tall door, only to crash down into the ground from the force. I yelped in pain, clutching my shoulder. That's gonna leave a bruise…

"Damn it, it's locked?!" I yelled, trying to pry open the door.

It didn't work. I hammered my fist against the door in frustration. _Boom! Boom! Boom! _They echoed and reverberated, mockingly.

""I…I… I d-"

Louise's voice, monotonous and soulless, echoed from inside.

I didn't have time to think. I didn't have time to plan out. I just had to save Louise.

Looking up, I yanked Delfringer out of his sheathe, and threw him up to the roof. He stuck into the wood with a loud thud, and using my familiar strength I yanked myself up. I bolted up, kind of like how Link does when he uses his hook shot.

It didn't matter now. I only had one chance to get in. Crazy as it was, I was going to do it.

I have to jump in.

After quickly finding which side the stained glass was on, sprinted forward, and jumped off the church. As I flew up, I turned, facing the stained glass. I learned in art class that it was very fragile and could be broken with enough force.

Let's give it a shot.

I threw Delfringer into the aged church wood again, and swung forward, straight into the stain glass. Man, so this is what it feels like when Spiderman swings. It's awesome, but…

This is gonna hurt.

I threw my legs forward as I gained speed, and luckily, ripped straight through the window no problem. I roared as I soared through the air. Wales and Wardes were frozen with shock, and Louise who looked like she was in a coma. Her eyes, which usually shone brightly, were oddly flat. It looked like there was nobody inside – except if you looked very, very closely, you could see her deep, deep inside, her screaming for help.

So she was being controlled!

"LOUISE!!!!!" I roared, dashing through the air. I crashed to the floor, the wood cracking beneath my shoes. The sound for glass fragments echoed as I hit the ground. I dashed forward, flitting like a ninja between Wardes and Wales, Louise in sight.

"SNAP OUT OF IT!!" I yelled. I reared my fist back with lightning speed, and punched Louise Square in the face.

She crashed to the ground with a loud thud, skidding across the floor. The sound of her clothes tearing filled the air, and all became silent. I could feel Wardes' and Wales' gazes penetrate my back, as Louise sat up with a fresh red mark on her cheek. For a moment, it seemed like she was still the limp controlled doll she had been ten seconds ago and then-

"What do you think you're doing, you idiot?!" she screeched, before her face suddenly turned to one of surprise and her mouth fell open. I couldn't help but grin.

"Saving your ass-"

"Michael, what do you think you're doing?!" Wales called out in utter confusion. I turned, facing the two of them. Wales looked utterly flabbergasted. Wardes was pale with shock and suppressed fury.

"Impossible, the spell…" Wardes said slowly. Before he could do anything else, I placed Delfringer's the tip at his neck.

"Playtime's over, Wardes."

"What do you mean?" he asked coldly. The words came out stiff and computerized, hardly an act at all.

"Don't play dumb with me! You were controlling Louise with some sort of magic weren't you?!" I yelled. Wardes said nothing, but stared squarely back at me, something seething in the depths of his grey eyes.

"Controlling...Wardes, surely it isn't…?" Wales looked from me to the still Wardes, and he was suddenly pale as well.

"It's true, your Highness! I wasn't able to control myself, so I-" Louise started, but a huge gust of wind cut all of us off, sending us flying. With a little shriek, Louise fell to the floor again, a couple of feet away from Wardes; Wales crashed into the wall and I crashed into the Chapel's many chairs.

"Looks like I have no choice," said Wardes, taking out his wand. Like a light saber, a green blade of energy overlapped Wardes's wand.

A lightsaber? Really? Star Wars really pushed the limits with theirs, from the original sword, to the staffs to the tonfa, but this is just ridiculous! Why not something more original?

And if that thing cat cut just like a light saber…

"_Damn it, talk about a kick in the nuts."_ I thought. Just as I recovered from my fall, Wardes dashed towards Wales, who crashed into the wall. Unable to move in time, he cringed…

"Not on my watch!" I yelled. Before Wardes could stab him I kicked forward a chair fragment that rested by my feet. It smashed into Wardes's side, knocking him off balance; his aim went astray. Wales threw himself to the side just in time; the wand-sword flew into the wall, quivering ominously.

"Prince Wales!" Louise screamed from behind me. She had turned white and her eyes were wide with horror and disbelief. "Wardes…you…"

"Just tried to kill the Crown Prince of Albion, yes," Wardes replied calmly. He had recovered. Casually, he pulled his wand-sword out of the wall and pointed it again at Wales, who was back on his feet and with his own wand pulled out. "I will not miss next time."

"Wardes…you're…a member of the Reconquista!" Wales whispered.

Wardes grinned, a sort of ominous grin. A sudden burst of killer intent made us all step back in fear. I could almost see the killer intent coming from him.

"Yes, that I am. Now that you know…"

I didn't have time to think. I went on pure instinct. I lifted up Delfringer, only to see a huge flash of green and a sudden impact that nearly sent me off my feet.

"You will die." He whispered, as I struggled to push against the sudden impact. Unable to push back, I was thrown off my feet once again. I flipped backwards, recovering from my fall. I could see Louise and Wales jump away, as they both took out their wands. I landed, and took my usual stance. The three of us surrounded him.

"Hah, do you think you could actually defeat me?" Wardes laughed. Damn, this guy really pisses me off.

"No matter. I shall deal with you." With that, Wardes charged forward. Wand ready, he tried to slash my chest. I ducked under the slash, and tried to slash him back, but he easily parried it. I used the weight of the parry to pivot to his side, ready to attack again; Wales came from behind, with a blue energy surrounding his wand.

Oh come on, how come everybody can do that? Are lightsabers the new duds, or what?

Wardes raised his wand aggressively, knocking away Wales' attack. He stumbled back, but recovered just in time to block another slash from Wardes. I jumped forward while he was distracted, but he grabbed Wales by the collar, and threw him over his shoulder and into me. I stopped mid flight, and we both tumbled to the ground.

"Thank you for teaching me such an interesting move familiar." He mocked, dusting off his shoulder. That bastard just stole my move!

"Why you…!" I growled, getting up. Wales stood also, regaining his stance.

"Are you good at fighting Wales?" I asked passively, examining the situation.

"I am, but I do we stand a chance?"

"Only one way to find out!"

I charged forward, ready to strike.

---

well, that's all there is folks. I was actually planning on putting a big fight here, but right now my head just isn't working. For now, I'm gonna take another long break, as I need to brainstorm ideas for the next fight. R&R, and peace out!

~CXP


	17. RE: Rematch! Part 2

Rematch Part 2

Okay, after much consideration I decided to edit the many references out of this chapter. Why? Because I felt like taking them out.

… okay a few reviews and my editors convinced me to do it. By no means did I have any problems taking them out; I didn't even plan on putting them in the first place. They were just… kind of there. Anyway, I was just too lazy and too tired to do take em out. But now I've gotten off my lazy ass and did some editing. Unfortunately my editors could not edit because of work. Not much has been changed, except the references and a few touches hes to the final attack.

Thanks to Chocofreakazoid and Fanime Scribbler for editing this fanfic, and putting up with my ravings and references. Couldn't have done it without you =)

~CXP

PS: The next chapter is in the making, and it should be up around winter break.

---

It was almost as if time itself had stopped as I took in my surroundings. Louise was on her knees by the chapel in a state of shock, Wales a little further behind me with his sword drawn. I readied myself, taking a stance with my sword held between my slightly bloody, sweaty palms and ready to parry off any attack from Wardes. However, it was undeniable that fatigue was slowly overcoming me.

I did my best not to pant – the last thing I wanted was for Wardes to realize I was getting tired. With a burst of speed, I charged forward and slashed at Wardes' flew as steel met steel. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wales pivot around me, swinging his saber in full force. Wardes leapt into the air, and as he soared through the air, I sprinted forward, doing my best to keep up with him. Allowing him to put that much distance between us would enable him to use long range magic attacks and keep us at bay.

He landed with a _thump_, but before he could do anything more than raise his wand, I pressed ahead as quickly as possible and jumped at him. He easily sidestepped me as I stumbled forward. My blunder gave Wales enough time to take a stab at Wardes, who had been preoccupied with me.

Unfortunately, he had seen it coming.

Wardes kicked me aside in the stomach, ducked under Wales' stab, and thrust his sword at him in one fluid motion. Wales parried and slashed again. Wardes dodged it and leapt away yet again.

"Damn it, this guy is getting on my nerves!" I yelled in frustration as I stood up. Wales moved next to me.

"We need to finish this as quickly as possible," muttered Wales tersely. His breathing was coming out shallow and strained; it looked like I wasn't the only one slowly being wearied by this fight.

"I agree. If we drag this out, we won't last. But what should we do?"

"I-"

"Give it up," Wardes voice broke in. We tensed ourselves in alarm but he had already disappeared.

"Where-?"

A split second before it actually happened, I realized.

"Wales, run!" I screamed, half turned towards him but it was already too late.

A sudden fierce wind threw me off to the side, bashing my head against the wall. There was a sharp, stabbing pain near the side of my head I could feel blood trickling down the side of my face. I couldn't quite see what occurred afterwards – the fighting was too fast and my head was spinning. Suddenly there was a scream of pain and when I stood up, a terrible scene greeted me. For one dazed moment, I wondered what the horribly stubby object protruding from Wales blood-soaked sleeve. Then my eyes locked onto a spot of white and scarlet, lying a few inches away from Wales. It was a severed hand.

"You can't escape. Your death is inevitable."

Wardes lifted up his saber, ready to impale Wales.

_No!_

I dashed forward as fast as I could, but I knew…

"_I'm not gonna make it…!"_

The world seemed to slow down. I rushed forward, Wales, still clutching his bleeding stump, flinched slightly, his eyes closed as if in acceptance…

The ground underneath my feet shook and suddenly I was coughing, my eyes stinging at the dark, acrid smoke that suddenly appeared, blasting chunks of the flooring apart.

"What?!" Wardes gasped; the sudden explosion had cut his attack short. We all turned to see Louise, trembling slightly, her wand pointed directly at the spot that the explosion had occurred. Now that I looked at it, it looked like a small bomb had just gone off; the remaining flooring was charred and smoking visibly.

"I will not allow you to kill Prince Wales," Louise said, her voice steady in spite of the slight shaking of her hand as she trained her wand onto Wardes. Her eyes blazed with determination as Wardes' eyes flashed dangerously.

"You…!" he growled for a second, and then his expression changed as completely and smoothly as though he had put on a mask. It was as if he were forcing himself to look affectionately at Louise. He advanced towards her, leaving Wales forgotten. Louise stood her ground, her posture tall and proud.

"Louise," he said tenderly, reaching towards her slightly with his free hand. Louise watched him warily, as one might watch a dog that may turn rabid at any moment. "My Louise… join me. Won't you come with me? Isn't that what you've always longed for, my Louise? To be my little bride?"

Louise didn't recoil at all, although, for some reason, I could've sworn that her eyes flicked to me for a second. I couldn't be certain because the next moment, she was meeting Wardes' cold gaze as steadily as ever.

"Once, I did," she said quietly. "When I was a child, and you were the man I always wanted, yes, I did. But no longer. You've changed, Wardes."

Oddly enough, he smiled at that. There was an odd twist to his lips, a bitter, sarcastic edge to it, but it still seemed like the first honest smile I'd ever seen him wear.

"All people change, my Louise. It's inevitable. Is that such a bad thing?"

"You've changed," Louise repeated. She shook her head sadly. "You're not the man I once knew. You're not the man that I admired."

"The man that you knew!" He laughed once at that, short and harsh. "The man you knew doesn't exist anymore. And, sooner or later, you'll be the same. I know you'll tire of your ways, and, some day, you'll join me. Don't resist, Louise! Come with me. We'll change the world! We'll take down our enemies! No one will deny your power!"

"Shut up," I said quietly.

"Michael?" Louise called out, questioningly.

"What is it now, boy?" That was Wardes, impatient and condescending. I barely heard him.

At some point in his appeals to Louise, I had felt something inside my head snap. To watch his attempt to manipulate Louise was repulsive. I charged forward, but I was no match for Wardes' brute strength. He blocked my attack, punched me hard in the gut, and blasted me away point black all the way across the church and into the wall.

I crashed, feeling the air rushing out of my lungs. I fell to the ground limply, unable to muster up the strength to recover in time, only able to roll up just a moment too late. Just in time to see Wales hurl himself in front of Louise, as Wardes threw forward a stab.

I heard the sound of the sword sliding into Wales' body. His scream of pain mingled with Louise's high, disbelieving shriek. Again, the sound of metal being pulled through flesh, the thump of a body falling to the ground. And then, in a detached voice:

"It is done."

_It can't be_.

"Wales!" Louise screamed, falling to her knees beside Wale's broken body. "No! No! You can't die!" She was cut short as Wales lifted up his hand weakly and whispered something to her. Wardes stood icily, watching Wales speak his dying words without any emotion or movement. I stood in place too, too numb to think to do anything else.

"But-!" She said, but he shook his head and whispered something else. With trembling fingers, Louise took his hand and slowly removed the ring on his hand. _The Wind Ruby. That was what it was_. I started walking slowly, then dashing forward as I saw Wales speak again, for the last time, Louise listening intently with tears glistening on her cheeks. I was too far away to hear and by the time I reached them again, his hand, which had been clenched around Louise's hand with the Water Ruby on, fell to his side limply.

"_Damn you Wales, how dare you get yourself killed like that?!" _I screamed in my head. I knew it was irrational, but I didn't give a damn. I was too angry for that.

I couldn't stop Wardes.

I couldn't protect Louise.

I couldn't bring Wales back to life.

A swirl of emotions erupted within me, as I was unsure of what to do. I didn't know what to do. Wales was dead, and Wardes was on us.

Damn it all!

I want power...

I want to become stronger… I want to protect those I care about!

I want to win!

"GOD DAMMIT!!!"I roared, jumping into the air, Delfringer ready. The Gandalf markings on my hand started to shine brightly, as Wardes shot lightning from his wand. I hesitated for a moment.

"Ah, I remember!" Del said unexpectedly. "Don't worry partner, just attack the magic! I'll handle it!"

"Are you stupid?!"

"Absolutely! Now quit yapping and attack!"

"Argh, fine! Here goes nothing…!" I slashed the orb of lightning with all my might. I felt Del go tense under the pressure – wait, lightning could be physically touched? – As if I was actually attacking something physical, and then, unexpectedly, the lightning split and deflected itself harmlessly around Del's blade.

"What?!" Wardes roared as I landed. Louise stared at me astonished; hell even I was surprised.

"Aha! It worked perfectly, just like always!" Del said happily.

"Wait a minute – are you saying I could have done that all this time?! Why didn't you tell me!!!" I shouted at Delfringer.

"Hey, don't be so critical, partner! I'm 600 years old; of course I would forget it. Cut me some slack here!"

It didn't matter now. I just got a new ability. If the situation weren't so dire, I would have been jumping with joy, playing Legend of Zelda's "You got an item!" theme in my head. Heck, come to think of it, can't Link deflect magic with the Master Sword? _Awesome! _

Unfortunately, I didn't have time for that. I stood in challenge against Wardes, and he looked at me strangely.

"Why do you stand against me, Gandalf? Do you not see the circumstances? Do you really think you can defeat me?!"

I was silent. I pondered on the subject for a bit, before I spoke my answer.

"I don't fight because I think I can win," I replied finally. My eyes strayed towards Louise, his gaze following mine. She was still clutching onto Wale's body, the tears streaming down her cheeks slowly.

"I fight because I have to win!"

"For her?" He said incredulously. "For a love that will not be? Don't flatter yourself Gandalf."

I didn't say anything, just prepared myself to attack. He already knew the answer anyways.

"You are a fool," he said simply. "And you shall die for it."

I dashed forward, attempting to slash Wardes' chest. He blocked it easily, and we started a power struggle.

"Michael!" I heard Louise scream but I ignored her.

"Hmph, like I care about those things. I don't give a rat's ass about commoners or nobles."

I could see Wardes' eyes narrow, as I felt a torrent of power rising within me. The Gandalf markings light grew brighter, and I pushed Wardes back with renewed strength, and continued my attack. With each slash I threw, memories of my life at the academy flashed before me.

"I have no family, or no house. I had nothing!"

I somersault kicked Wardes, and he jumped back to avoid it. Instead of using the same old trick, I landed in place.

"But things are different now. I found something here…"

The light became brighter. A whirlwind of power enveloped me, rushing through my veins. I felt my strength returning and the pain fade away.

"I found a place I could call home. I found people I could call friends!" I shouted. I lifted up Delfringer and pointed him at Wardes. I spread my legs out, and gripped my arm with my left hand. The rushing of power increased as I roared, and a white light surrounded Delfringer. I could feel the power rushing into him, ready to explode.

"That's it partner, let it shine!"

"I won't let you take them away from me!"

The white light burst, causing a small explosion. The torrent of power ripped everything around me apart. A bright light followed, blinding my vision slightly, and on queue Delfringer changed form. A white light surrounded him, and proceeded to explode into tiny firefly like lights. The rusted gray mouth that Delfringer used became bright gold. The blade became half silver, half black. The dull blade became sharp once again. If you had to ask me, it looked like a smaller version of the buster sword.

Before anyone could do anything, I attacked. I was on Wardes instantly, as if I had used shunpo. Wardes eyes grew in wide surprise, as I swung my fist forward. He blocked it, but the force of the impact sent him flying into the chapel pedestal, forming a dust cloud around him.

But I didn't stop there. I jumped in the air, and got ready to plunge down. As I did, a lightning bolt shot towards me, but I smashed it away. Wardes came into view, and I jammed my foot into his face, causing him to stumble.

"How dare you-!" he yelled, but I gave him no time. I charged up all the energy I had left into this one final attack.

I flitted in front of Wardes, and jammed Delfringer's hilt into his stomach.

"This is for Wales!" I yelled. He doubled over, and I left hooked him in the face. "This is for Henrietta, and this is for playing with Louise!" Roaring, I followed with an uppercut, sending him a few feet into the air. As he came down, I gripped Delfringer like a baseball bat, and used the dull edge of the blade to smash his head like a baseball. He burst up, and I followed suit.

Its time to finish this.

Using my jumping start, I slashed Wardes across the chest. Hot, fresh blood burst out and slashed on my face as Wardes' grimaced in pain. I flipped upside down, and smashed my foot into his chin, sending him even higher. The force of the kick sent me back down, but I landed on my hands, and pushed myself back up with all my might. I bolted up, and like a cartwheel spun vertically, unleashing a flurry of uncountable slashes.

Unfortunately, I had to stop eventually because spinning that fast made me want to puke. Shaking it off, I grabbed him by the collar and threw him straight toward the ground. Before he landed, I untied Delfringer's scarf, and threw him straight at him. Wardes hit the ground with an echoing _thud_, followed by a sickening _shunk_ as Delfringer pierced his stomach about halfway through, keeping him in place. Wardes gasped in pain, but I didn't care.

I roared, tugging myself down. Since Delfringer pierced the wood under Wardes, It didn't move very much and made it easy to gain speed. I proceeded with the overkill as I landed on Delfringer's hilt, sinking down the rest of the blade. Wardes hollered in pain as I delivered the final blow, his echoing cry filling the church.

Removing Delfringer from Wardes' stomach, I proceeded with a quick back flip just in case Wardes pulled off any more tricks. I landed, expecting the worst.

Nothing happened.

I turned, only to feel something crash into me.

"Argh, what the-?!" I jumped in surprise. Wardes shouldn't have been able to do that. I calmed down after realizing who it was.

"MICHAEL!!!" It was Louise, crying weakly as she clung to me. "Michael! Michael! You idiot! You stubborn, thick-skulled idiot!"

"Hey relax… I'm still alive aren't I?" I replied, embracing her gently.

I immediately wished I hadn't said that as her face blanched, her eyes flickering to Wales' body, lying forlornly on the ground.

"Are you okay?" I asked urgently, grasping her by the shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Louise?"

"Y-yes, just a little shaken up…Michael, what -?"

"What did the Prince say?"

"What?"

"Wales. He said something before he-." I started, but the sound of a moving body from behind cut me off. I immediately turned, stepping in front of Louise with Delfringer ready.

"Get behind me," I said quickly. She looked like she wanted to argue for a moment but reluctantly agreed, watching fearfully as Wardes stood. Damn, he took even that much? What is up with this guy?!

"Damn it… I underestimated you…" Wardes spoke, coughing up blood in the process. "Well, it doesn't matter. I was able to complete one of my objectives. It's time to take my leave."

"You're not getting away!" I cried. I was about to dash forward, but Wardes was a step ahead of me. He tapped the ground with his wand, which started an earthquake. The whole chapel shook as it started to fall apart. The chandelier above us fell, and I grabbed Louise and jumped away as far as I could. It crashed with a loud _smash_, and I turned only to see Wardes get away.

"You and your foolish master will be turned to ashes!" Throwing these last parting words at us, Wardes disappeared through the hole in the wall.

"Get back here dammit!" I cried out, ready to follow, but Louise stopped me.

"Michael, we can't! We have to get out of here!"

I gritted my teeth. Louise was right. We had to get out of here. I grabbed Louise's hand, and bolted for the exit. We were cut off as a piece of the roof fell directly where we would have been if I were a second faster. I turned, only to be cut off again.

"Dammit, what the hell!"

But then, the ground right next to it rose up.

"What the? Is it an enemy?"

I lowered my sword towards the hole, out of which a brown animal soon pooped it's head.

"Aaaaaaaawn?" said Belldandy. Right after, Guiche's head popped up right beside him, his eyes popping slightly in panic.

"Michael, Louise, hurry! We must get out quick!"

"No need to tell me!" I cried.

"But the prince's body-!" Louise started.

"There's no time for that!" I yelled back, although I also felt a twinge of guilt for just leaving him there. "There's nothing we can do, we have to go!" Reluctantly, she nodded.

With that, we retreated into the safety of the hole, and out of the castle.

---

"Phew, that was close." Louise panted, wiping the sweat off her face.

"Yeah. Thanks a bunch Guiche," I said.  
"Haha, but it is only fair that I help you. After all, it is for Her Majesty." He puffed out his chest proudly. I could just see him sparkling…

"Right… well, anyway where does this frigging hole lead? Are we there yet?"  
"Just be patient. We are almost there."

And so, we kept walking…crawling. Whatever. The hole led us quite deep underground, but how far exactly I couldn't tell. I was only able to tell when Belldandy dug the exit…

And on the other side, I saw clouds.

"… What the?"

At that point, the thin layer of earth underneath us crumbled, and gravity took effect as Guiche, Belldandy Louise and I plummeted to the earth. It was at this point where I realized we were.

"WHY ARE WE FUCKING UNDER THE GODDAMN CONTINENT?!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I could hear Guiche and Louise screaming similar things. But before we could fall any further, I saw an afterimage of blue, and landed face first on something really hard.

"OW! What the fuck is your problem Guiche? What kind of sick joke was that?!" I yelled, propping myself up, to be immediately aware of a mischievously smiling face almost touching mine. I hastily leant back.

"Hello, darling! Your beloved Kirche is here!" cooed Kirche. Tabitha muttered something from Sylphid's neck; probably a greeting. Ah…so we were rescued by Tabitha.

"Darling! What a state you're in! Whatever happened to you guys?" Kirche asked, wide eyed as she took in the state of me and Louise: covered in dirt, blood and, all in all, rather worse for wear.

"Long story," I said as I wiped my face of the dirt, and turned around to see Louise doing the same.

"How did you find us?" She asked. Guiche gave us a proud smile.

"Belldandy loves jewelry. Once she smells it, she never forgets its scent! With that, we tracked you here."

"Huh, that's pretty handy… But I still hate you for that." I said, pointing up. He gave me an apologetic smile.

"Well, err, you know…even the greatest of us make mistakes."

"Right," Louise said sourly; evidently she shared my feelings on this latest incident.

With powerful wing strokes, Sylphid broke through the surrounding clouds and changed direction to the Magical Academy.

"It's finally over…" I mumbled, looking up at the famous white country. Though the mission was over, it seemed to pass by so quickly, yet so slowly… I wonder if I'll ever go there again.

My thoughts ran over everything that happened. The meeting with the water spirit, fighting Wardes, meeting Wales…

"So, do we get to hear the story now?" Kirche asked, eyes intent. "What happened? Say…" she said slowly. "Where's that handsome man – Prince Wales, was it?"

Louise turned away; I couldn't see her face so I couldn't tell if she was in tears again. I answered for the both of us. "He's dead. Warders was part of a Reconquista; he betrayed us."

There was a stunned silence and then:

"Dead."

"Wardes a traitor?!"

"The Reconquista!"

Guiche and Kirche both immediately started talking, exclaiming their shock and bombarding me with questions. I had a feeling that even Tabitha was surprised, even though she didn't say anything.

" So…" Kirche said at last. "Crown Prince Wales'… dead."

"How will Princess Henrietta react to this?" Guiche fretted. They eventually pulled up to talk to Tabitha about this as well; Louise and I were left alone. We sat in silence, just feeling the wind whip by as we flew, the only sound in the air being the flapping of wings.

Prince Wales's…dead. I kept seeing his severed hand, Wardes harshly pulling his sword from his body, his last words to Louise. In spite of myself, I started to frown.

"Michael? Is something wrong?" Louise asked softly. I looked up to see her eyes on me.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking." I replied, staring off into the distance.

She didn't reply. Instead, I felt something soft land on my shoulder. I didn't need to turn to know it was Louise's head, resting on my back.

"You know, it would have been nicer if you just asked."

"Shut up. I'm tired, and I want to rest. I order you to stay still."

My back suddenly became a lot warmer, and I chuckled.

"Whatever you say."

---

Well, that's it for the editing. Hope you enjoyed, and review if you haven't already!


	18. RE: The Return

The Return

Hey guys, sorry for the no update. Stuff has been happening recently, like my 17th bday, I bought a bunch of new games but yeah. This chapter was done like a LONG time ago, but the updating process took forever. My editors were being lazy and I had to constantly remind them to get it done DX but now its here, and we can finally move on. Sorry again for the wait.

~ CxP

A Week Later

"Louise, where are you going?"

We had just arrived back at the castle a couple of hours ago; getting back to Tristein had been surprisingly difficult. I had just finished dressing (the princess's servants had insisted upon getting us new clothes for some reason. Not that I really minded – I definitely needed it after all the fighting – but what annoyed me was that they had tried to _dress _me. That, I put my foot down on).

"Hey, Tristein to Louise, can you hear me?"

Louise didn't answer, but kept on walking. I trailed along after her – I didn't have anything else to do anyways.

"Hey, don't just ignore me—Louise!"

I grabbed onto her shoulder, bringing her to a stop. She barely even turned to look at me.

"Isn't it obvious? I have to report to Princess Henrietta," she said listlessly.

Oh yeah, that was right…everything that had happened in Albion had been part of our mission.

Everything that had happened in Albion.

I suddenly remembered Wardes and Wales, and felt slightly sick. How on earth were we going to tell Henrietta?

"So if you'll let go of me, I'm going to report now," Louise said monotonously, starting to walk again.

"Wait," I said abruptly.

"I can't."

"Do you have to do this now?"

"Yes, I do," Louise scowled, anger touching her face.

"Fine, then I'm coming with you," I announced, crossing my arms.

"No, you aren't," she said.

"Why not?"

"I cannot allow a dog like you to- "

"Oh, please! Not with that lame old excuse again!"

"This is a matter that involves only the Princess and I. _You __–_"

"I'm what?" I challenged. Louise looked at me in helpless fury.

"Why are you always so damned stubborn!" she cried, pointing vindictively at me. "Always defying your master, you, who are just a familiar- "

"Exactly!" I interrupted her. I placed my hands on her shoulders, and forced her to look at me. "I'm your familiar! Aren't I always supposed to help you, no matter what?"

"Michael…" she mumbled. All her anger had evaporated; in the end, she was only tired, and just as torn as I was over having to tell Henrietta that…that Wales was dead. "It's my duty…"

"Just let me go with you. You don't have to do everything yourself," I told her quietly.

Louise lowered her head and sighed. "You wouldn't listen to me anyways," she muttered. "Alright, as my familiar, I allow you to come with me to report to her Highness, Princess Henrietta."

"That's all I was asking for," I said and let her go, following her as we both started to walk again. After some feet of silence, Louise suddenly said, "Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

I smiled. "Any time."

I stood with my arms crossed behind Louise. Now that we were actually here, the tension was killing me. I toyed nervously with the sleeve of my new milk-white shirt, watching Louise. She was silent as she knelt before Henrietta, who was equally quiet. It might have been my imagination but her face seemed rather paler than usual as her dark eyes took in my grim expression and Louise's still figure.

"I…I am glad to see that you are safe, Louise François," Henrietta said at last. At the sound of her voice, Louise's shoulders started to tremble.

"Princess..." she whispered.

"The letter... it is safe?"

Reaching into her breast pocket, Louise gently pulled out the letter. Henrietta nodded and stood from her throne. She walked up to Louise, and firmly grasped her hands.

"You really are my best friend. I can't thank you enough, Louise."

"Your words are too kind, Princess."

She took the letter, and walked back to her throne, sitting down quietly. I expected her to open the letter, but she laid it down, and clasped her hands together.

"What has happened to Prince Wales?" She asked in a low voice.

So she'd finally asked the question. Louise closed her eyes, holding back her tears. I hid the dark scowl on my face in the shadow of the light.

Henrietta closed her eyes.

"As I thought...Prince Wales sacrificed himself for his kingdom…" she said brokenly.

"Princess…forgive me," Louise whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "It's my fault…if only I'd known…if only I'd realized about Wardes…"

"Louise- "I muttered, but Henrietta interrupted me.

"Viscount Wardes? I must thank him also but where is he? Surely, he didn't…also…?"

Louise's face grew grim, her mouth twisting slightly. "Princess…he…" she stumbled on the words for a moment, and then turned to look pleadingly at me. I sighed.

"Wardes was a traitor." My words sounded loud after Louise and Henrietta's hushed conversation.

"Wardes? Traitor?" Henrietta said slowly. Then she gasped, eyes going wide. "No…" Her eyes were filled with worry as she pondered over this revelation before she turned back to us and demanded, "What exactly happened on your trip?"

There was a pause, where Louise looked uncertain and scared. Then she took a deep breath and explained the entire situation to Henrietta. How Kirche and the others joined us en route. How we took a ship to Albion, and its subsequent attack by pirates. That the pirate leader was Crown Prince Wales. How even though escape was offered to Prince Wales, he refused.

Louise paused at the night before her wedding, where she lost onsciousness. I continued from there, explaining how I disrupted the wedding, and Wardes suddenly showing his true colors… killing Prince Wales. The ambitions of 'Reconquista' were to unite all of Halkeginia, to the grand goal of liberating the Holy Lands from the Elves. As I concluded my side of the story, Henrietta's shoulders dropped. She covered her face in shame.

"The viscount was a traitor… How can that be? To have a traitor within the midst of the Mage Guards..." Gazing at the letter she wrote to Wales, tears overflowed slowly down her cheeks.

"Princess…" whispered Louise. I half expected Louise to get up and hug her childhood friend. I knew she wouldn't though, because she was always like that. "Nobility comes before friends", at least, in her agenda.

"It was me who took away Prince Wale's life. No matter how you put it, it was I who chose the traitor to be the messenger…" Henrietta spoke softly, her voice thick from the tears. While I couldn't blame her for feeling that way, I couldn't help but think that it was already done; there was nothing we could do about it. Besides...

"The Prince had already planned on staying in his kingdom. It was not Your Highness's fault," I said. Louise nodded sympathetically. Henrietta sniffed, nodding.

"Louise, did he, at the very least read my letter?" she asked. Louise nodded again,and Henrietta turned towards the window.

"Then, Prince Wales didn't love me. Even after I told him to escape…"

It was at that moment I recalled Wales' words. He kept stubbornly telling Louise _"__There is no such line written.__"_

"Ahh, with your death, there is no longer any hope. What about me, my lost love?" Henrietta muttered softly in her daze. She seemed to have forgotten that we were in the same room as her. "Was honour more important than me?"

I grimaced at this, and decided to step in.

"Henrietta, please listen to me." I said, drawing her attention to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Louise shoot me a reprimanding look, probably at how I was informally speaking with her. I decided to ignore it. "I don't know much about the history between you and Wales. Sure, I may be a little off base here, and if I am don't hesitate to correct me. You say that Wales didn't love you, simply because he didn't heed to your wishes. That's wrong. If anything, he loved you more than he loved himself."

Henrietta looked up, staring at me blankly. Her cheeks glistened, stained with tears.

"Love me more than himself?" she repeated. I nodded.

"Think about it. Prince Wales was just that; a Prince. If he did escape here, what would have happened? Albion would have stormed Tristein in order to get him back. They would probably give some nonsense about him being a traitor, a runaway, and demanded that they give him a righteous execution. Knowing the love between you two now... you would have no doubt refused to give him back. Am I wrong?" I asked Henrietta. She didn't say anything, casting her gaze to the floor. I continued.

"And that is why Wales refused to come. If he did retreat here, he would have only spread the war in his country. At least by fightying, dying in his country, he could keep Tristein... keep you, safe."

Henrietta, sighing deeply, looked out the window. The air became heavy, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for Henrietta.. As she rested her elbows on the armrest, she muttered sadly, "To fight with courage, to die with glory. That's your privilege as men. But what of those who are left behind, what are they to do?"

We were silent again, but I knew how she felt. I knew the sorrow she was going though, and I did my best to tell her my experience.

"What to do huh...? Well, in all honesty, that's really up to you."

"Huh?" said Henrietta and Louise at the same time. I stared up at the ceiling, remembering the times I spent with Amy, the times I spent trying to recover from her death.

"It's like I said; what you do now is up to you. Are you gonna mourn for Wales death? Or are you gonna stand up on your own two feet and live your life like he wanted?"

"Live your life…? What do you mean?" Louise asked, turning to me. It looked like she'd forgotten any objections she might have had to my speaking at all. It made for a nice change I had to say. I faced Henrietta.

"You may not know this princess, but there was a time when I too, like you lost a loved one. Her death broke me; I stopped smiling, I stopped laughing... I stopped living."

I could feel the tension in the air rise, and I decided to stop and consider what to say next.

"For a very long time, I grieved. I became angry, hating the world and everything in it. I became cold and detached, thinking nothing of my life and hating myself for not being able to save her... for being the reason she died. I felt deep down, that because of my weakness, because she died, that there was nothing left for me in this world. I felt that I did not deserve to live." Henrietta gasped at my revelation moving towards the edge of her seat. Even Louise, who was still kneeling, really seemed to be listening earnestly.

"But despite all of those things, I kept on living... because before she died, she told me she loved me saying it with all her heart and soul. Perhaps I was lucky in that sense, and I realized soon after, that she wouldn't want me to be sad. Thinking back now, she would have told me to love another. She would have told me to move on. She wouldn't have wanted to be the reason for my sadness..." Henrietta's head dropped, her dark violet hair hiding her expression.

"I am sure Wales felt the same way for you princess. There is no doubt in my mind that Wales loved you with all his heart; and I have no doubt that he would have told you what I just said."

I took a step back, saying nothing else, giving Henrietta enough time to think. After what seemed like forever, she stood up and walked up to me. She held my hands, and brought them up. I looked at her face, and fresh tears fell from her eyes, and she smiled.

"Thank you Michael. Your words mean much to me."

"Don't worry; this is what friends are for, isn't it?" I replied. Henrietta smiled, then dropped my hands. It wasn't quite the same smile that I had seen before, it was too sad for that. Still, It was better than nothing, I guess. I watched her as she wiped away her tears.

"With the obstacle that could have broken the marriage removed, our country will be able to step into the alliance with Germania safely. In such a situation, Albion will not so easily invade us. The crisis has passed, Michael... Louise Françoise." Henrietta said as brightly as possible, turning towards Louise. Louise stood then, taking out from her pocket the Wind Ruby.

"Princess, this is a keepsake from Prince Wales." Accepting the ring, Henrietta gasped in astonishment.

"Isn't this the Wind Ruby? Did you get it from Prince Wales?"

"Yes, he gave it to me before he died."

Henrietta put the Wind Ruby on her finger. Because it was for Wales, it was too large for Henrietta's fingers… But Henrietta muttered a spell, shrinking the ring until it fit on her finger. Henrietta lovingly stroked the Wind Ruby, her eyes soft as she gazed at it.

"Thank you, Louise. Thank you Michael. Thank you so much..." whispered Henrietta. Louise also took out the water ruby but Henrietta shook her head.

"Please hold on to it. It's the least I can do to express my gratitude."

"I cannot dare to accept such a treasure."

"For such loyalty, an appropriate reward should be bestowed. It is all right, put it on." Louise nodded and put it on her finger, sinking into a curtsy as she accepted the gift. Turning towards me again, Henrietta gave a shy smile.

"Thank you again, Michael." A sad smile filled with grief, yet also a smile of gratefulness towards me. It left me dumbstruck for a moment. Louise had to nudge me, followed by a cold glare before I responded.

"Don't worry princess, it's my pleasure."

Louise and I turned to leave, but Henrietta stopped us before we left.

"Wales, he died bravely. Is that right?"

"Yes. It was so." Louise replied. Henrietta, nodded, her gaze falling onto the Wind Ruby.

"Then I… I will live bravely as well."

On the flight back to the Academy, Louise and I remained silent. No matter how much Kirche begged us to tell her what the letter had said, we kept our lips sealed.

"Oh, come on, won't you at least tell me what the mission was? And to say that the Viscount was a traitor, it's all so mysterious." Kirche looked at me with a feverish glance. I looked away in response. "However, darling attacked him?" she continued.

"Yeah, but he escaped…" I replied.

"Still, that's quite an achievement! Say, what was that mission exactly?"

I couldn't help but lower my head. Is she that stupid? Can't she see that we don't want to talk about it? When neither of us spoke, Kirche made a face; the corners of her mouth pulled down into a frustrated frown, and she turned to Guiche.

"Hey, Guiche!"

"What?" With another rose in his mouth, Guiche, who was spacing out, turned around.

"Do you know what was in the letter Princess Henrietta sent us to retrieve?"

Guiche closed his eyes saying, "I do not know. Only Louise knows."

"Louise the Zero! Why won't you tell me?! Hey Tabitha, what do you think? Well, I think that I'm being taken for an idiot!" Kirche yelled crossly, shaking Tabitha who was reading another book. Because of all the shaking by Kirche, Sylphid lost balance and slowed down suddenly. Guiche, who was sitting at the rear, let out a yelp as he suddenly slipped, coming dangerously close to falling off the dragon altogether.

"Oh crap!" I yelled, trying to reach out to him. He stretched out his hand, but I was late by a fraction of a second, and missed. Guiche screamed as he fell, but since it was Guiche, no one else noticed. Mid-way, he pulled another rose out, and using "Levitation" floated down slowly, avoiding near-death. Louise lost her balance as well, and I immediately sat back up, holding her waist with my hand, supporting her body. Louise blushed.

"W-watch where you're touching! To be so b-bold, I'll punish you when we get back!"

"Hey, do you have a death wish or something? If I remember right, your magic sucks. If you fell and tried to use levitation, you would have probably died before you hit the ground."

"You are just a familiar, and you dare insult your master?"

"Not that excuse again…"

"You're being too reckless," Louise replied with a huff. She drew a sharp breath and quickly averted her gaze, but didn't try to shake off my hand. On the contrary, she leaned her body closer, snuggling against me. Yet, her face still remained averted, cheeks faintly flushed pink as she bit her lower lip. Though Henrietta's beautiful... Louise is still hot… Drives me nuts just thinking about it… Wait, that came out wrong…

As Louise leaned closer, Kirche spun around, glaring daggers at me. "Since when did you become like this, you two?" she muttered. Louise, suddenly realizing how things looked, blushed furiously. She immediately pushed me off, and I lost balance. Oh crap.

"Nothing happened, you idiot!" Louise screamed, and with a punch, she sent me tumbling off Sylphid.

I screamed as I felt gravity pull me down towards the earth. I panicked, but I managed to spread my arms and legs out, slowing my fall ever so slightly.

I closed my eyes before I hit the ground, but something slowed my fall, and I landed gently onto the plains. Did someone use a levitation spell on me?

"Ah, sorry about that, darling! Well, see you back at the school!" I heard Kirche call as Sylphid continued to fly as though one of its passengers had not narrowly escaped death. Wait, they were just gonna leave me? What the hell… Grumbling to myself, I saw Guiche, rose out, walking along the road on the grassy plain with a bitter face. Ah, so it was him. He stopped and addressed me in his usual snobbish manner.

"You fell too, right?"

"Hmph. At least you only fell. I was punched off."I snarled, fixing my clothes.

"T-they aren't coming back, are they?" he replied. I looked hopefully up into the blue sky – maybe Kirche was joking? – Just in time to see the wind dragon vanish over the horizon.

"…Looks like it. Damn them…" I sighed.

"Well, let's walk then, it'll take half a day on foot." With a depressed look about him, Guiche started to walk, and I followed suit.

"By the way, you… That, well… There's something I wanted to ask. Please tell me." Guiche mumbled as he fiddled with his rose.

"What do you want to know?"

"Did Her Highness... well... have anything to say about me? Is it true that she'll reward me after the mission, with the letter where the promised secret date is?"

For a moment, I almost face palmed at that. A sudden wash of pity for Guiche followed.

"Let's go." Pretending I hadn't heard anything, I quickened my pace.

"Well, is the rumor true?"

"Come on, walk. It's good for the health."

"What, y-you…. Her Highness, I..."

Before either of us could do anything else, I saw a flash in the sky. I looked up, wondering if the others decided to come back for us, when something crashed into the ground. An explosion followed, and the force of the blast sent Guiche and I flying backwards. I could literally feel the earth itself shaking from the blast when I hit the ground.

"What the hell?!" I cried out, standing up immediately. I withdrew Delfringer, and took a fighting crouch. Footsteps filled the air, and as the dust cleared, a man stood before us.

The man, 5/9 from the looks of it, had long black hair and brown eyes, and wore a long V-cut red trench coat. It was decorated with black and gold linings on the arms, with navy blue and white linings around the leg area. Wrapped around his waist was a large belt, reaching up to his abdomen. On it were multiple engravings, tinted gold with a touch of grey. There were several pockets around his chest area, filled with throwing knives with ring holes welded to the hilts, strangely resembling kunai. A long sword was draped over his right shoulder, and I couldn't see it from my angle but it looked like he had two curved short blades strapped to his waist, similar to me but in an x fashion.

"W-who are you? To suddenly attack us, just what do you think you're doing, commoner?!" Guiche yelled nervously out to the man.

"Hey, are you stupid?!" Can't you see he's armed to the teeth? One slip up and he could kill us both!"

Before either of us could do anything, the man was upon us. Fear was instantly on me, and I struggled to remain calm. I could literally see his killing intent residing behind him, as if he was possessed.

"I'm only here for you, boy." The man said to me. In an instant Guiche was knocked away with a fist I barely saw. He crashed into the ground, unable to register what just happened.

"Guiche!" I cried out. I tried to attack the man, but he disappeared.

"Behind you!" Guiche cried out. I slashed blindly, hoping to hit something.

There was nothing there.

"Is this the best you can do? Aren't you the Gandalf of legend? Or has fear taken you?" The man asked, his voice coming from behind me. I turned instantly, and there he was, standing where he hit Guiche with his sword drawn. I regained my posture, trying desperately to calm myself down.

"So it is the fear. I expected more of you, Gandalf." The man taunted, and my fear immediately turned to anger.

"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" I asked.

"Who am I? Ah yes, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dorian Chimoya of the Black Flame. You?"

"Michael," I replied, dropping into a fighting crouch, ready for anything when Dorian lifted his sword.

"I see you have anger, Michael. That is good. Come and fight me, show me the power of the Gandalf."

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" I yelled, dashing forward.

I was on him instantly, and I attempted to slash his chest. He dodged, and returned with a slash of his own. I blocked it, and was instantly surprised at the force of it. I dashed away, but he followed me. He lazily stabbed forward, and I parried it. His sword arched harmlessly to the side, and I tried to slash him again. He jumped in the air, and brought down his sword with both hands. I pivoted to the side, and tried to slash him again, but he flipped around my sword and countered, eyes closed. I blocked it, and we started a power struggle. I pushed with all my might, but to no avail.

"Is this all you can do? Come on, I'm not even trying," he drawled.

My anger intensified, but I kept it under control. This guy was strong, and I couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

I withdrew the hidden blade, and tried to stab him with it. He withdrew one of his short blades with his left hand and parried it, jamming the handle into my stomach. As I winced from the blow, he proceeded with a front kick to my chest, sending me tumbling back.

"Is that the hidden blade? Ah, you have a good taste in weapons. Have you any other tricks up your sleeve? Because I'm starting to get bored."

As soon as I regained my balance, I was on him instantly. I thrust Delfringer forward, feeling weightless, yet with the full momentum of a hurled spear. Delfringer sliced through the air, aimed hard at Dorian's throat.

The tall man ducked, and swept his sword at me in a lazy attempt to catch me as I passed by. I dodged it, and swung Delfringer again. He blocked, and we started another power struggle.

"I see it… I can almost touch it. Yet, you fight like this? Such a disappointment."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I can see it in your eyes… you have hatred. You have anger, but you don't use it!"

I grimaced at this, keeping my burning anger under control. It made me eager to attack, and fuelled my strength. Still, I knew better than to give in to it.

"I don't see why he has such an interest in you… honestly, always grabbing what he wants…" He sighed, and suddenly he was on the move, slashing with astonishing speed behind a furious diversity of well-timed strikes. I retreated, struggling to keep up. Still, I fought back, not wanting to lose. Black, purple and white energies clashed as we traded blow after blow, block after block but still he kept coming, attempting to overwhelm me with sheer persistence and speed. What's worse, it was working. Each blow made my limbs feel like weights were being added to them, and my guard was dropping slowly. The cuts covering my body became gashes; my concentration began to slip.

The duel raged all across the field. I ignored everything around me—Guiche's voice, the wild, fluctuating gravity, the constant ringing of steel against steel, the endless pain arching across my entire body—In order to solely concentrate on this one battle. He was winning, and I needed to focus if I wanted to fight back. I wouldn't let him beat me, but could I beat him?

My whole body was heavy with pain. The odds weren't looking good.

Dammit! If I was a legendary familiar, then why was I getting my ass handed to me by this guy? He was right – where was the Gandalf's power? Wasn't this the power that had always allowed me to protect Louise?

Louise's face suddenly flashed in my mind. A sudden strength rose within me, as well as a resolve. I have to beat him. If I can't, I will never be able to protect Louise. If men stronger than this man came, I would have no chance of winning, and Louise would die because of my weakness. The pain on my body slowly faded, and I started my own offense.

I decided to switch my swordplay. Since he was overwhelming me, I needed to use defense and offense together, which meant the standard kendo style I typically used wouldn't cut it, no pun intended. Knowing that, I flipped Delfringer around, and held him in a reverse grip. Slightly surprised but still relentless, he kept attacking. He tried to stab my chest, but I parried it to the side with the sharp edge of Delfringer, and knocked the dull edge up with my elbow, ignoring the new bruise on my arm. Delfringer's tip launched up from the force, and Dorian jumped away. I quickly advance on him, using slow, deliberate, and powerful swings. He blocked each one, but I kept at it, stabbing with my hidden glove whenever I saw an opening.

During my relentless assault, a sudden feeling in my gut told me to jump away, but I didn't know why. It was at that moment, his sword started to glow.

He's going to use magic?! How? He doesn't have a wand!

"Rin, Pyo, Toh, Shah, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" chanted Dorian. Even though I really couldn't afford a lapse in concentration, I was distracted all the same. Weren't those jutsu chants?

A black and purple flame enveloped his sword. I jumped away immediately, moving with caution. He lifted it up, and slashed the ground.

"Hitobei!" (Fire Sickle) he cried. A burst of purple light followed, and a crescent shaped blade spun forward, shaking and tearing apart the plains in its path. It was too fast; I wouldn't be able to jump away in time. I cringed, raising Delfringer to block it but before it hit me, a wall of earth rose from the ground and shielded me from the blast. I turned, seeing Guiche with his rose up.

"Michael, are you alright?!" Guiche called out. He rushed up towards me, but Dorian appeared before him out of thin air.

"You're in the way. Begone." He smashed Guiche in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. He turned, and raced towards me. In an attempt to get away, I tried to kick him, his before I could even lift my foot halfway he kicked it down with his heel. He wrapped his arms around my neck, and kneed me in the stomach. I felt the air rush out of my lungs, and he elbowed my face. I stumbled back, stunned for a moment. But before I could do anything else, he front kicked me in the chest, sending me tumbling to the ground. I struck the ground hard, sliding towards Guiche. The impact shook my limbs, which were now numb with pain.

_Wait a minute… Did he just do what I thought he did?_ Uncertain thoughts raced through my head, and he then took a fighting position I recognized all too well.

"That's… Muay Thai!" I yelled, surprised. This man knew martial arts? No wonder he was so strong. He looked at me strangely.

"You know martial arts as well? Well, it explains why your movements are strange. They aren't swordsman movements. However, it doesn't matter now," said Dorian. I held Delfringer up as he approached, but he didn't attack. Instead, he walked past me.

"I'm done here. Become stronger, Michael… for our paths will cross again", were his last words. I turned to face him, but he was gone.

I was unable hold myself up any longer. Exhausted and hurting everywhere, I let myself fall to the ground. The impact didn't help, but at least now, I can rest.

"Michael, are you alright? Who was that man? He fights similar to you!" Guiche said, every word heavy with pain.

"I don't know… but one thing is for sure. This guy is strong… much stronger than Wardes…!" I started, but I coughed up blood. Dammit, looks like the toll for my wounds is finally catching up…

"Mic…el…ou…ay?" I heard Guiche say, his voice coming at odd intervals, but my mind didn't register it. Soon the world was spinning around me. I felt sick in the stomach, and my body throbbed with a dull yet incredibly piercing pain.

The rest was followed by darkness, and a voice calling for help…

Well, that's the end of the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Peace out!  
~CxP


	19. Training Day 1: Become my Taxi!

Training Day 1; Become my Taxi!

Well, here's chapter 19 guys! I just wanted to start off with a little update. The next 3 or so chapters aren't going to be anything story related. In other words, fillers. There isn't gonna be a sort of arc or anything, I just wanted to focus more on some character development. If you haven't noticed, Louise and I are the ones who get the most stage time. I want to try focusing on the others a bit as well. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thanks to Fanime Scribbler for helping me edit this fanfic.

It is pitch black. Everything is dark, cold and silent.

Am I dead? Did I die before Guiche could get help? Did the man come back to finish the job?

Well, not that it seems to matter.

I hear voices too, familiar ones, but hazily, and without any seeming order or sense to when I hear who. Momo is chanting a spell I can't make out. I _do _hear Louise, who cries and mumbles half-coherent apologies to me…

Siesta's hushed voice is talking to somebody. Probably Guiche, judging from the obnoxious tone. They're talking about somebody, me I think…about…what happened with that man…

Louise and Kirche are arguing. One voice is sharp and accusing, while the other is high and defensive. Too loud…my head hurts…

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, everything evaporates. The voices stop coming, and time seems to freeze. It is like being in a state of non-existence. For a long, very long welcomed moment, there is nothing to see. There is nothing to hear, and there is nothing to think. There are no dreams. There is no sense of gravity. Maybe now I can finally get some damn rest.

Of course, it just had to happen then.

It wasn't really surprising, more of a relief when I woke up.

"Miss Louise, he's waking up!"

Finally, I was pulled out of that dimensionless world. I opened my eyes, only to see that one familiar ceiling. I flexed my hands, which actually felt somewhat heavy and numb. Everything seemed rather blurry, my eyes seeming reluctant to focus as I wanted them to.

There was a flash of white, and I can't breathe as something crushes my lungs.

"Can't…breathe…"

"Oh, thank the Founder that you are awake! I thought you would never wake up again!" sobbed Siesta, her voice bursting with joy, then, if anything, hugged me tighter. Yeah, it's good that I'm awake, but do you mind not crushing me right now?

"Siesta, get off him!" A familiar voice ordered crossly. "He's just a familiar, he doesn't need that sort of pampering! As for you, it's about time! Just who gave you permission to get into a fight and then pass out for three days? _Again?"_

Three days? It sure as hell felt a lot longer than three days…

I wonder if it's just the stuff I've been doing, but she did have a point. I've been unconscious an awful lot ever since I left my old world. Still, you'd think that by now, she'd get used to it.

I could breathe again as Siesta jumped back, her eyes still full of happy tears. I guess she was afraid of what would happen to me if Louise became angrier. Guiche, Montmorency, Kirche and Tabitha entered the room as I began gasping for air, glad to be finally free.

"Darling!" Kirche squealed, the first to notice.

"Hey-!" I started but I was too late to escape yet another lung-crushing hug. Oh my god let me go or I'm going to pass out again from lack of air, dammit!

"Kirche!" Louise screamed indignantly but Kirche ignored her, crooning nonsensically to me. "Darling! Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere? Geez, I'd like to give the guy who did this to you a piece of my mind!" Kirche growled, cradling me protectively to her chest. "But anyways, darling, are you quite alright? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Let…go…of me…"

"Eh?"

"He said to let _go _of him!" Louise yelled, marching over and tearing Kirche's arms off of me. Air! Sweet air, I'll never take it for granted again! "Geez, don't just go making free with other people's familiars!"

"Humph," Kirche pouted, but crossed her arms, keeping them thankfully to herself.

"Oh, thank goodness you're finally awake!" said Montmorency, sighing with relief. "I was worried that my water spells weren't going to work for a while there…"

"Ah, but since it was none other than you, Montmorency, who was tending to him, of course Michael was going to make a full recovery! Anyways, it's great that you're awake. But you should be thankful! I had to get us both back to the-" he started, but Montmorency cut him off with a smack to the head.

"Guiche, this isn't the time to be like that!"

"B-but Montmorency…!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Nothing has changed.

"No, Guiche is right. He saved me. Without him, I would have probably died. Thanks Guiche, I owe you one."

Guiche, stunned for if only a second, suddenly had a rose in his hand. Where _does _he get that thing?

"Heh. Well, I guess that even a noble can't just leave a helpless commoner without lending a hand."

I could almost see him sparkling with Noble pride. Oh well, its true. He saved me, and I owe him, so I'll let it go for today…

"So what happened to you? Guiche filled us in, but we want to hear your side of the story too. Who was that man who attacked you?" Montmorency asked. The others nodded in agreement.

So, I told them what happened. About Dorian, what happened during our fight, everything that I could possibly recall. Not that there was much to recall…

"So his name is Dorian Chimoya? That's an unusual name… I wonder where he's from?" said Kirche.

"Eastern name…" Tabitha mumbled.

"A foreigner perhaps?" suggested Montmorency.

"I don't ever remember them teaching us about the east…" said Louise.

"I don't even know if they taught us anything beyond Halkeginia. I wonder why?" Guiche wondered out loud.

What? That's stupid. Why weren't they? I'm sure there could be so much more for them to learn outside of this continent. Maybe it became isolated after some war?

"Well, that doesn't matter! This man is dangerous. He may come after you again! What should we do?" Siesta fretted.

I thought that was obvious.

"Well, there's only one thing I can do. And that's to get stronger."

"Get stronger you say? And just how do you expect to do that?" Louise snorted.

"I agree darling, you should rest a bit more. It's not good for your health," said Kirche.

"You only just recovered!" Siesta cried.

"She's right. You shouldn't move yet!" Montmorency added, worried.

"Relax guys, I just said I have to get stronger, but that doesn't mean I need to get stronger now. It's just that the sooner I do, the better, because I don't know when he will come again."

Another uncomfortable silence filled the air.

"Hmph, well if he comes again, we'll protect you!" Guiche said confidently, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, that's right. I'll make sure to give that Dory guy a good beating!" said Kirche.

"You can count on us when the time comes. That's what friends are for right?" said Montmorency.

I was slightly taken aback by this, but I held my composure. Never once did I hear them ever say that word. Friends. The people who you can trust. The people who you can count on.

The people I left behind…

I felt a sudden twisting in my chest.

"What's wrong Michael? You look pale all of a sudden," Louise asked in sudden concern, her eyes fixed anxiously on my face. "Does it hurt? Do you feel faint?"

"N-no, its nothing," I stammered, a bit surprised by her concern. "I'm just a little tired. Maybe I should rest a bit more. Really," I reassured her, since she still looked worried. "I'm fine."

"Well, if you need to rest, then rest but don't expect any service!" Louise concluded in her usual manner, but her voice slightly softer than usual. Now that I think about it, she always was a bit nicer to me after recovering from injuries of any sort. I guess being unconscious for three days has its advantages.

"I have some duties in the kitchen to attend to now. I'll come back when I'm finished. Don't worry Michael, I'll take good care of you!" said Siesta cheerfully as she walked out of the room.

"We have to go too. We can't come by often because of classes, but we'll visit you when we can," said Montmorency, following behind Siesta.

"Ah~! Montmorency, wait for me!" cried Guiche, chasing after her.

"Sweet dreams Darling~. Get well soon okay?" crooned Kirche, blowing a kiss at me before she left the room. Louise threw her an icy look but Kirche didn't seem to notice at all.

"Get well soon," Tabitha mumbled to me as she followed Kirche out of the room. Those were the only words she said the whole visit – I had nearly forgotten she was even there.

With the crowd of visitors gone, the silence in the air seemed unnatural, even slightly awkward, a feeling that only intensified as Louise stared at me intently for some strange reason.

"And then there were two…" I mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, confused, and in a slightly suspicious tone.

"Nothing, just pointing out how we are the only ones left in the room."

Louise's face suddenly turned scarlet. Huh?

"W-well, its part of my duty as your master to take care of you when you're injured! So of course I have to stay with you! E-even if we are alone…"

"Well, its not like it hasn't happened before… and why is your face red?"

"I-I-Its not red! I just feel very hot all of a sudden!"

"Is that so?" I replied, sitting up. In one swift motion, I grabbed the back of her neck, and pressed her forehead against mine. I ignored her gasp, and frowned slightly at her overheated forehead. Her face flushed even darker, and I could swear I could feel her temperature rise up a few more notches.

"Man, you really do have a fever. Are you sure you're feeling okay-"

"WHATS THE MATTER WITH YOU, YOU STUPID DOG?" Louise screamed, breaking my eardrums. She stumbled back, and slapped me hard across the face. My whole upper body slammed back into the bed from the impact. Damn, that stung!

"H-how dare you do s-such a thing, bringing your f-face so c-c-close to your master… W-where's your respect?" she yelled again, pointing an accusing finger at me. Oh no, she was stammering again, which is NEVER a good sign.

"Sheesh, is that what I get for worrying about you? Damn…" I said, rubbing my cheek.

"N-no more excuses! M-mongrel! Dog!" She screamed, seemingly beyond carrying out a rational conversation anymore. "You're the worst! Ugh! Always getting yourself half-killed, disrespecting nobles, doing as you please, and always, always, ALWAYS being too forward with your master!"

"So I do what I like, what's the problem with that?"

"EVERYTHING!" Louise shrieked as she stomped her foot. I cringed at her voice, not because I was scared but more of because it gave me a headache. With her hair flying about her still scarlet face, she looked slightly insane. "You know what, I've had ENOUGH of you and your attitude! I knew it all along – I've been too lenient with you!"

"Lenient my-"

"SHUT UP! This is exactly what I mean! You have no discipline! No respect! UGH!" She paused in her screaming to catch her breath, her narrow chest heaving heavily.

"So what are you going to do?" I muttered quietly, watching her for any signs of her screaming fit to start again. "Punish me?" I snorted, remembering exactly how "effectively" she'd managed to punish me before now.

Her eyes narrowed and she seemed ready to fly back into full voiced screaming again, but then oddly, she smiled, a strange sugary sort of smile.

"As a matter of fact, I think I will. You wanted to train, didn't you?"

"Err…" What should I say? Yes or no?

"I think I have the perfect thing in mind," Louise said, sinking back into her seat and crossing her arms. "Once you're healed, as your punishment, you're going to be my personal carrier."

"Wait a minute, what the hell? You're joking! Why do I have to be your personal taxi?"

Louise looked thrown off for a moment. "…A what? Tax-E?"

"Argh, never mind! Why do I have to carry you around?"

"You _do _want to get stronger right?" She asked me in a sweet tone that matched the sugary smile. "Physical endurance is part of getting stronger. Carrying loads will strengthen you. So as punishment, you have to carry not only me, but everyone who asks you in the school."

"Huh? That's stupid! I don't want to carry everyone in the-"

A whip cracked. Louise, holding a new thorny whip in her hands grinned threateningly. The whip itself was four times as thick as the last one. Thorns stuck out dangerously, giving a threatening aura. Damn… A hit from that really looks like it would hurt…

It looked like I'd finally pushed her over the line.

"You're joking."

"Try me."

We glared at each other for a stern moment. I could almost see the electricity emitting from the both of us. But the odds weren't in my favour.

"…Damn. Fine, you win." I sighed, rising up my hands in defeat.

A few days later

"AUGH… Can't… take... any more…" I gasped. Sweat drenched down my face as I gasped for air desperately, as I just carried up some random fat kid who couldn't walk up the goddamn stairs himself.

"Oh woe is me. This ungrateful familiar's sweat is on my uniform! Whatever shall I do?" the kid said mockingly, taking practically no notice of how totally drained I was.

"…The hell'd you say, you son of a-!"

"Oh, look at the time. It seems I have to take my leave." He replied, completely ignoring me. He turned his heel sharply, throwing dust in my face and walked off.

"You're welcome, ya ungrateful asshole!" I yelled with what breath I had left. Man, that kid weighed a ton… I swear once this is over, I'm getting professional training. I heard footsteps coming from behind me, but I didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Just to let you know, I'm taking a break. This is goddamn tiring, and I'm at my limit…"

"An ungrateful dog like you doesn't deserve a break."

I sighed.

"What do you want Louise…?" I asked, turning to be met by an unusual sight.

Louise was there, wearing that odd smile she'd picked up during our argument a few days ago. She looked pretty much the same as usual, in the school outfit. However, in Louise's arms, there were…

"…Horse reins?" Why do you have…" I started, but it dawned on me.

"You see, I'm afraid that people might not be aware that your _services _are available for use so…"

"You're gonna make me wear _horse reins?"_

"A lowly familiar like you deserves nothing better!" She said loftily and took a step forward.

Suddenly my strength returned, and the alarms in my head were going off. I retreated as fast and as far as I could.

Unfortunately, my back crashed into a wall.

"No way. There is NO WAY you're making me wear that thing! I don't even know how to put it on!"

"As your master, I order you to put it on!"

"Awww, gimme a break!"

"No excuses… Now put it on!"

Louise pounced, her eyes flashing dangerously. I yelped, bolting straight for the staircase.

"I order you to stand still!" Louise cried, but I didn't care. I'm not putting on horse reins! Who wears horse reins? I sure as hell 'ain't gonna be the first!

I ran as fast as I could, skipping a few steps along the way. I turned the corner, dashing between groups of students. I ignored their cries of surprise, solely focused on getting the hell out of here!

"YOU STUPID DOG! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

I bolted around another corner, pushing off the wall to keep my momentum. But before I could reach the door, I suddenly tripped.

"Hey, what the hell?" I yelped, wincing as I landed face first. I rolled over, to see Kirche with her wand held up.

"Kirche! Oh thank god, you've got to get me out of here! Louise is-"

"Now, now darling, no need to rush. Just be a good boy and do as I say!" she winked.

Oh no…

"Ah, I'm tired." Guiche sighed from behind her. "Carry me down the stairs, will you?"

Oh God, no!

"NOT YOU, TOO!" I yelled, scrambling to my feet. I bolted past them, rushing as fast as the wind would carry me. I dashed out of the building, Kirche and Guiche hot on my heels.

"Darling! Please come back!"

"You owe me for saving your life!"

_Argh, what the hell did Louise do to brainwash these guys? Don't they have any pity? _I thought, dashing through the courtyard. I zipped between crowds, jumped over barrels, toppled over some furniture, all in order to get away. Man, looks like this stuff they used in Assassins Creed actually worked. Wait, why am I thinking of that right now? I HAVE TO GET…!

Before I could do anything else, a shadow fell over me. A sudden weight crashed on me, flattening me like a pancake into the ground. A loud rumbling noise, along with the sound of flapping wings hit my ears. Groaning, I looked up to my right, and saw Tabitha and the head of her dragon familiar, Sylphid, with his tail ever so relaxed on my back.

"OH COME ONE, NOT YOU TOO, TABITHA! PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU, GET ME OUT OF HERE! I REFUSE TO GO THROUGH THIS…THIS…BULLSHIT!"

In response, Tabitha calmly took out a book, sitting down and reading as if I wasn't even here.

"HEY, AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE I'M HERE! Geez…what about you Sylphid? C'mon…we're fellow familiars…won't you please, please, please let me go? PLEASE?"

Sylphid stared at me for a second with one large blue eye, then yawned rather loudly and obviously before resting his head between his forelegs, evidently intent on getting a good nap. Great. Don't I feel special?

"Good job Tabitha, our plan worked out quite well!" called Kirche casually as she walked to where we were, admiring the sight of me trapped under Sylphid's tail. You mean you planned this? I'm starting to hate these people…

"There you are… I…finally have you…" Louise panted as she finally caught up to us.

"No! I refuse… to be defeated like this!" I wailed, struggling under Sylphid's immense bulk. I would have flailed around too but thrashing while your limbs are pinned under a dragon's tail that weigh's about 9000 times as much as a human isn't the easiest thing you would try to do.

"Oh quit your whining! Louise said irritably as she knelt down, shaking out the horse reins.

"No, I will not be defeated! No! I refuse to put it on!" I yelled, turning my head away to avoid the horse reins. Louise, growing impatient, took out her new whip.

I don't like where this is going…

"Well then, if you're going to disobey me…AGAIN… I guess I'll have to punish you right here!"

"URGH! THIS IS MADNESS! LET ME GO-"

Before I could finish, Louise's whip struck the ground, dangerously close to my face. The odds were against me. I decided to be an idiot anyway and ignore the odds. SCREW THE ODDS I HAVE MONEY… wait let me try that again…

"Well screw you dammit- ARGH! MY EYE!"

"Keep refusing, and I'll keep hitting you till you submit!"

"I will never be- UHAGH! RRAAAAGH, IT BURNS!" They could humiliate me, but I sure as hell wasn't going down without causing the biggest ruckus I could.

I heard a weary sigh and the shuffling of feet, along with "Kirche, could you please put a silence spell on him?"

I felt a sudden tingling feeling in my throat. I tried to yell, but nothing came out. God damn it all!

"Alright, he's all yours, Guiche," Louise said, holding out the reins. She "accidentally" jammed the metal bit into my mouth, and yanked the reins back sharply. Argh…the metal was cutting into the edges of my mouth…

Louise slid a dark look down at me. "As for your disobedience...yet AGAIN...we'll discuss that later tonight."

She gave me a sugary smile. I think I hate that smile more than anything in the world.

"Happy training."

OH GAWD… FINALLY… FINISHED… THIS GODDAMN CHAPTER… I am so sorry this took forever guys. You see, like I said above the next few chapters are gonna be sort of fillers, and I wanted to try something a bit different. My editors suggested I add some comedy, ignoring the fact that comedy I have absolutely no comedic sense. Thankfully, they do and so helped me write out a chunk of the end of this part. Thanks again Fanime Scribbler, from whom the whole "horse training" idea came from, couldn't have done it without you.


	20. Training Day 2 Magic prowess!

Change my Destiny 20; Training Day 2: Magic Arts!

Hey guys! Sorry again for the wait, I didn't have as much trouble with this one. It was pretty easy to write, and I had a lot of ideas for this one so yeah no problems. The only part I had trouble writing was the end. Anyway enough of my rambling, lets get on with it!

"THAT IS IT!"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Louise shrieked at me as I started to unbuckle the ridiculous load of equipment on my back.

"I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS GODDAMN AWFUL EXCUSE FOR TRAINING!" I roared as I hurled it all at her feet.

It's been a week since I started training. The thing is, the training I have sucks. I have to carry around anyone who asks on my back. Not too bad. Add some horse reins, torture, and a puny bitch with a whip that seriously hurts, it gets hectic. Words could not describe how furious I was. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.

"I won't hear any of your excuses!" Louise yelled back, glaring at me furiously.

"I'LL MAKE YOU! I've HAD IT with your stupid, lame excuses! YOU CALL THIS TORTURE TRAINING? What happened to taking care of your familiar?"

"A worthless, disrespectful familiar like you-

"I'm worthless? Okay fine, I'll admit it like a man. Sometimes I really push it. But that doesn't mean it gives you the right to whip me! This training is insane too!"

"Yes, you do push it! You're always disobeying my orders, you always make rash decisions, and you always somehow get yourself half killed! And don't you want to get stronger? This should be an easy way for you to gain strength!"

"There is no "easy way" to gain strength! The only way I can get stronger is through hard work and "proper instruction"!

"Well then, start working at it!"

"I can't! I've been at it constantly for a goddamn week! My body can't take much more of this! If this keeps up, I may end up fainting AGAIN! Is that what you want!"

"No!" She yelled, suddenly stricken. "Don't you _dare_ faint on me again!"

"Then what's the problem?"

"You're the problem! Look at you! You're always yelling back at me, you're always causing me trouble, and you never give me any respect!"

"You want my respect? Yeah well, YOU'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR IT!" I roared, infuriated. I couldn't take it anymore. I just lost it then and there. I wanted to let out everything I kept bottled inside. I wanted her to feel my pain. I guess keeping things locked up really is bad for you.

That really set her off. Her face flushed crimson, and tears sprung in her eyes but she blinked them back furiously even as she made her way towards me, hand raised. I didn't move an inch, but just let her slap me. For a brief, yet extended period of time, we glared at each other like archenemies. The only sound in the air was our ragged breathing.

"If you're so tired of staying with me," Louise growled, "Then leave! I'm through taking care of you!"

That did it.

"You know, that's a good idea! I'll take that as a final order from you, "Master," I spat the last word contemptuously. "Good bye, au revoir, and don't show me your face ever again!"

I turned, and kicked down the door. On the other side I, Kirche, Tabitha, and several other students peeked out their doors, drawn by all of the shouting. I glared down each and every one of them, and then proceeded out of the building.

_Why did I fall for a bitch like you… seriously… _

I felt something wet on my face, and my vision was blurry. I ignored it. Must have been some dust anyway.

An hour later, I was storming around the court yard, still in a black mood. The few people who had been there had long since left, obviously wanting to steer clear of me and my mutterings and sudden outbursts.

"Damn it all… why the hell does she keep putting me through this bullshit? Even though I've saved her ass more times than I remember, even though I protected her and did what she told me to do, she keeps treating me like shit!" I yelled out, grabbing my head, outraged.

I've always been patient with her. Well, tried to be. Sure, I threw out the occasional sarcastic comment, but that's only because it's a habit. Yeah, I was defiant, only because we didn't have to go through this before. What can I say? Sarcasm makes me who I am. It's like my only defining point, next to my stubbornness.

I'd been at this for an hour, and I was getting nowhere. Worse yet, the more I dwell on it, the more I wanted to do nothing but sigh. I did push her over the line, and I _had_ been very reckless recently. But it wasn't my fault! The situation called for decisive action! Well, maybe I'm just making excuses…

In the end, what it all came down to was the fact that I needed to get stronger. In spite of what I'd just yelled at Louise, I was still going to protect her. No matter if she liked it or not, or even if I wanted to or not. I was still her familiar, and I still cared too much for her not to do so.

I need to get proper training. But how?

"Ah, Michael! Is that you?" Called a voice from behind me, cutting my thoughts. I turned to see Siesta, a radiant smile on her face, either oblivious or ignoring how irritable I was.

"Oh, Siesta! Hi." I semi grumbled, and tried to seem half-way happy.

"Hi… What's wrong Michael? You seem angry."

I really needed to work on keeping my emotions in check.

"Well… something like that… I tried to… things got complicated and…" I stumbled, trying to think of an excuse.

"Don't worry, Michael. Just take a deep breath, and calm down. I'll listen." She said, with a reassuring smile.

I sighed, relaxing. Siesta's smile made me feel at ease; my anger evaporated slightly.

"Louise and I got into a fight again. I just got sick and tired of doing all that so called "training" she was putting me through. Seriously, what's her problem?" I said, sitting on the grass. Siesta followed suit, straightening her long skirt as she turned to me, listening attentively.

"Miss Vallière is a noble, Michael."

"That's no excuse…"

"She is. And nobles usually don't have to deal with commoners like you. It must be…difficult for Miss Vallière, I think."

That was true. I'd seen the way commoners usually treated nobles, the spineless way that they deferred to them constantly. I felt just a bit guilty. Louise had probably grown expecting all commoners to be like that. This was probably as frustrating for her as it was for me.

I opened my mouth, but couldn't find anything to say. We were quiet again for another moment, an awkward silence between us.

"So, Michael, what are you going to do now since you aren't training anymore?" Siesta said, changing the subject. I felt kind of bad for dropping my problems on her so suddenly, so I went along with it.

"Oh, actually I was thinking of asking a teacher for help."

"A teacher?"

"Yeah, so I can learn the basics of magic and stuff. I want to learn how it works. If possible, I want to try learning it."

"Learning…magic?" Siesta asked in an voice full of awe. "You mean… you want to become a noble?"

"Yeah well, I'm not really concerned about the noble thing. If I can learn magic, I might be able to have a fighting change when going up against mages."

"I see… but don't you think that's a bit out of your reach? You're a commoner after all… it's unheard of that a commoner was able to successfully use magic."

"Successfully? So it's been tried before?" I wonder if they knew the success rate for people attempting magic.

"Well, I haven't heard of anyone who has succeeded, nor do I recall anyone trying."

"Oh, okay then. Still, if I learn the fundamentals and basics of how magic works, I can probably think up a strategy against it. There's a saying where I come from. "The key to victory is understanding your enemy's strengths and weaknesses."

"I see…Well, if you plan on studying it, you should go see Professor Colbert. He teaches magic in self defense, and is a very proficient fire mage."

"Is that so? Thanks Siesta!" I said, getting to my feet.

"Michael!" Siesta called out.

"Yeah?"

"I hope you feel better. If you're ever upset again, you can always talk to me."

I looked at her open honest smile and found myself smiling back.

"Thanks."

"Ah, Michael! It has been such a long time," Colbert greeted me enthusiastically as I walked into his office.

Speaking of which, Colbert's office was a very... cramped place. His "office" was actually a little shed residing in the back of the school premises. There were many shelves filled will all sorts of materials. Books, beakers, weird smelling liquids, test tubes and the like. If anything, it looked like a science department.

"Yeah, it has. Louise and I have been a bit busy recently, so I haven't had much time to talk to you."

"Yes well, that's quite alright. In fact, I have been working on a new discovery."

"A new discovery?"

"Yes. I'm close to replicating this." Colbert said, taking out a beaker. Inside, was a brownish black liquid. It had a really odd, yet familiar smell. It's almost as if it was oil…

"What is it?" I asked.

"That is the blood of a dragon. Long ago, giving out a terrible roar, two never before seen dragons descended from the heavens. One of them disappeared during the solar eclipse, and the other fell somewhere. I unexpectedly was able to obtain the blood it bled from that time."

"I see… Well, anyway that's not the reason I came here. I wanted to ask your help with magic."

"Magic? Why do ask about it?" he said, placing down the beaker carefully.

"I want to learn as much as I can. If possible, I would also like to try learning how to perform it."

He froze for a moment, taking in the unexpected question. I can't really blame him for it; I mean why would a commoner even try to use magic?

"Learn it? Why would you want to learn it?" He asked.

And so, I told him everything. I told him about my mysterious awakenings with my powers, Albion, (though I made him swear that he would keep it a secret) and about Dorian. Colbert seemed very concerned about this, especially with Dorian.

"I see… so you want to learn magic to become stronger?"

"Yes. As I am now, I won't stand a fighting chance against a man like him. I was lucky when I fought Wardes, who didn't die even after all I threw at him. I want to become stronger. I want to be able to protect my friends. I don't want them to die because of my mistakes."

"We all make mistakes, Michael."

"Then I'll make as little as possible by becoming stronger.

He was quiet for a long time after that, which seemed even longer because I could barely breathe because I was so tense. Finally, he stood.

"…Very well, I shall teach you."

"So Michael, what do you know about magic?" Colbert asked me. We were strolling leisurely in the courtyard. I guess that meant I wouldn't have to take any notes, unlike in high school (thank God for THAT).

"Not that much. There are four elements, aren't there? Fire, water, wind, and...earth, right?"

"Magic is not just composed of the four Fire, Water, Wind and Earth elements. Originally, there was a fifth element."

"A fifth, you say?"

"Yes. That element is said to be the pinnacle of the Pentagon."

"So it's the strongest? What's the element called?

"It is called the Void Element."

_Void? Sure as hell doesn't sound like an element…_

"Now, Michael," Colbert said in a lower voice, glancing quickly around to check that nobody could hear our conversation. "Not many people know this, but it is also said that Gandalf is the ultimate familiar that belongs to that legendary void sorcerer."

"Wait a minute," I said, stopping in my tracks. "Wouldn't that make Louise a Void mage?" _Louise…a legendary element-user…? Then what was with all the explosions and the "zero"?_

"I don't know. You see, the void element has not been confirmed yet. It is only a legend, so I cannot answer that."

"What about the runes on my hand? You mentioned before that these were the Gandalf's."

"The rune that appeared on the back of your hand is very similar to that which is recorded as that of the Gandalf. Unfortunately, since a void sorcerer does not exist, there is no proof that you are the Gandalf. Also, Miss Louise cannot use magic proficiently. Even if she were a Void Mage, if she cannot cast a proper spell, it would all be looked upon as nonsense."

"At any rate, there are four existing elements; Fire, Wind, Water, and Earth. Magicians can combine different magical elements or even stack the same element on top of itself to make spells more powerful. The power of a mage is determined by how many elements he or she can combine."

"There are four ranks of magician based upon this factor. Those who cannot combine any element together have the first rank, referred to as dot magi. Most magic students are in this class. Those who can combine two together are called line magi, the second rank; some of the better students are capable of this. The third rank, triangle magi, is for those who can combine three elements together. If one reaches the rank of triangle, one is worthy of being an instructor of magic as an elite class mage. I believe Miss Gallia and Miss Zerbst are examples of such mages."

"Wait a minute – _Tabitha and Kirche? _Say WHAT? Tabitha I can understand, but Kirche is a triangle mage, too?" I yelled, astonished.

"Yes. Like I said earlier, she is able to stack her main element, fire on top of itself to create much more powerful fire spells. If you have any questions, ask her about it later."

I was really shocked. I never would have imagined Kirche of all people to be a triangle mage… she sure as hell did a good job of hiding it.

"The fourth rank, the square mage, is very rare. Those who reach it are worthy to be called legends. In myths, there is even a fifth rank called pentagram mage. Furthermore, royal blooded magi are also able to combine their skills to boost their level past the pentagram level."

"Royal blooded magic huh…" Princess Henrietta came to mind. So she could pull this sort of spell of, couldn't she?

"Yes. This is just the basic theory of magic, though. To work magic, you must have a certain innate power. This power, which only exists in noble families because their parents abilities are past to their children, must be summoned before you can use magic. Once it is called upon, you can bend the power into the form you wish it to take. For example, to create fireball, you must imagine a ball of fire."

"Wait, what if I were to just say fire without actually imagining anything in particular?"

"Two of the elements, by default are able to do that. Fire and wind are these. This is because, no matter what you do, if you say fire or wind, your mind unconsciously brings up an image of a gust of wind, or a flame depending on your element. Water and earth take much more precision and concentration, as water is a healing element, and Earth is paired up with Alchemy."

"So does that mean water and earth mages are much more skilled?"

"Don't mistake that Water and Earth elements are for more skilled magicians, but instead it is more suited for them. Magic isn't chosen randomly; it all depends on the user."

"So… does that mean Fire mages and Wind mages are impulsive?" If so, sounded like Fire and Wind were for me…

"Not necessarily. It doesn't have to be just impulsive. Fire could be for a person who is strong willed, wind could be for a person who is quick witted. Earth can be for someone who is seeking something they want to know or find. Water can be for someone who wants to protect something dear to him or her."

Huh… so I'm going to either end up being Water or Fire? Earth is definitely out, not too sure about wind…

"How are you able to tell what kind of element you are?"

"There are certain procedures for that. First, you must unlock the power that allows you to use magic. Although, I believe you have done it before."

"I have?" I felt slightly hopeful. So there was a chance that I had this innate ability as well?

"Yes. If my theory is correct, the power you draw to use your familiar abilities may be the same power used to use magic. If you would please, activate your ability as a Gandalf, and you might be able to draw upon any potential magic as well," Colbert told me.

"Its possible… lets give it a shot." I said, drawing Delfringer.

I closed my eyes, clearing my entire mind away of unnecessary thoughts. I took a deep breath, removing the anger that Louise had implanted. It took a while, but it was gone. I reached into the farther corners of my mind, searching for that one power that I know. There was something else, but it wasn't what I was looking for, so I ignored it. Easily enough, I drew out the Gandalf's power and the familiar runes on my hand began to glow, but nothing else happened.

"Hmm… it seems I was mistaken. The power you use to draw out your familiar abilities are only for that… was there anything else you felt?"

"There was one thing…"

"Really? What was it?" Colbert asked, excited. Now that I thought about it, he seemed just as excited as I was. Guess it must be the thrill of seeing something never tried before. Now that I thought about it, this was pretty farfetched. A random kid like me, come from Earth, a perfectly normal planet, thrown into this mess of things, being a legendary Gandalf, and ALSO being able to use magic? I definitely hoped I could, anyways.

"It's hard to describe. It was another sort of feeling, but it wasn't what I was looking for, so I ignored it.

"Ah yes, I see! That could be the power used to draw out magic! Put Delfringer away, and try to focus on embracing it. Once you do, I want you to open your hand, focus on the one thing you want the most. That will trigger a chain reaction, and cause your element to appear in your hands," Colbert said eagerly.

I sheathed Delfringer, and closed my eyes, ready to proceed before Delfringer stopped me.

"Hey, partner… be careful." He warned.

Be careful? What does he mean?

I found the power I felt before, but something else caught my attention. There was another sort of… for lack of better term, feeling inside. It was similar to my Gandalf powers, yet it wasn't the same. Unlike the warm glow I feel from the Gandalf, this one felt… dark. It felt unholy. When I tried to approach it, I felt a sort of barrier like resistance, and the dark energy emitting from it repelled me. For a brief moment, I felt sorrow. I felt rage. I felt something… evil. Stunned, but far from finished, I charged back in. My consciousness hit the barrier at full force, and a torrent of negative feelings overwhelmed me.

_With your power, you won't be able to protect Louise…_

_ You have hatred… you have anger, but you don't use it!_

_ A commoner can't overcome a noble!_

_ I need to win…!_

_ Such a disappointment…_

My head was filled with voices of the past. I felt myself grimace, trying to keep it all under control. I pressed forward, trying to ignore the anguish that I felt. Rage, sorrow, corruption, agony… The pressure on my mind was crushing my very soul as I pushed through the barricade made up of my hate. The bottled feelings I kept inside me threatened to tear my mind apart and drive me insane but I pressed on.

I could hear Colbert's voice, far away. The unending pain soon drowned his voice out. I kept going.

I will become stronger. I won't yield to loss anymore. I won't give up no matter what!

_I'll protect you…!_

Finally, after what seemed like an endless torture, I reached the darkest part of my mind. The place where all my anger was held. The center of my darkness.

Everything outside was pushed away. The world around and outside became silent, frozen. Its as if my mind was separated from my body. Everything was still.

I looked around, seeing only darkness.

_I love you…_

I turned immediately. A human figure stood before me, yet it wasn't human.

_Do you love me?_

I knew that voice. I backed away from the figure. I could never forget that small frame. I could recognize it from a mile away.

It was Louise.

_You said you would protect me… but you yelled at me, you left me…_

I couldn't move. My feet were frozen to the ground. Every nerve in my body stopped, and I felt my blood run cold as Louise's figured morphed into Kelly. Every cell, every nerve, every thought in my entire body and mind told me to run, but I could not even turn way my gaze. Blood oozed out of her eyes, nose and mouth. Her pink skin became death white, and her eyes turned from pink to red. Her dark brown hair became grey. Her body became disfigured, and with every step she took there was the sickening crack of her bones. My mind was thrashed to pieces, and I felt myself give way to the dark.

… _You let me die._

I screamed.

My eyes jerked open, and my entire body jumped. Sweat poured down my face, and my breathing was ragged. My entire body violently shook. Everything was blurry, and the images of a moment ago were engraved in my mind. I desperately tried to calm down, but I could not. I looked up, and saw Colbert, trying to talk to me. His voice was faint, and I could barely hear his voice.

"M…ael… ich…!" Everything he said to me was broken. I couldn't understand. My mind was in shambles.

What was that? That darkness, all those feelings… was that my darkness? Was that where my magic power resided?

Is my sorrow, and anger the source of my magic?

I looked down again, only to jump again. Residing in my right hand was a dark purple flame. It gave off the same energy that I felt in the abyss. It was rather large, about as big as my hand, and burned with a dark light.

"Michael! What happened?" Colbert's words finally reached me. I looked up at him, my eyes drawn away from the black fire.

"I… I saw…" I started, but the images came back. My stomach churned, and I threw up. The flame in my hand flickered and died.

"I'll go get a water mage." Colbert said. His words alone were making me dizzy. As he got up to go, I heard another voice calling frantically.

"Michael! Are you alright?" I was too dazed to know who it was. I looked up again, and saw Louise. Her face was filled with worry, as if she had forgotten what had happened when we fought. Instinctively, I jumped away as I felt my heart clench.

_You yelled at me, you left me…_

Those words echoed in my head like gongs… Make it stop… Please…

"Michael… Are you…" she started, but stopped. Tears sprung in my eyes, and I turned away to hide them.

Louise was silent. I let my nerves calm down, and I looked back at her.

"Michael… Are you all right…? I was walking by, and you were on the floor… I came by to see if you were alright…"

Somehow, hearing her voice calmed me down. It soothed me. I acted before I thought, suddenly pulling her towards me. I threw my arms around her even as she let out a startled cry.

"Michael! Hey, what are you doing?" She squirmed uncomfortably, but I held her tightly. I didn't want to let go.

"I'm sorry…"

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry for yelling at you… I'm sorry for being such an asshole… I'm sorry for leaving you…" the words just kept flowing out of my mouth. Tears flowed out of my eyes, and I increased my grip.

She didn't say anything, but she was suddenly still in my arms.

"I'm sorry Louise… I'm so sorry… so please…. Don't… don't leave me… I'm sorry…"

Louise's hands were very warm and gentle as they hesitantly hugged me back.

"I'm sorry too… I treated you poorly… as your master, I'm…I'm a failure…"

And just like that, we made up. Nothing else needed to be said. Everything around us was drowned out. With a sense of unexpected surety, we held each other. I breathed in her scent, relishing the feel of her in my arms— Louise, my one and only Master. Louise, the one who took care of me when I had no place to go. Louise, the person I trusted with my life. The person I loved.

For one long, wonderful moment, it was just Louise and I, and everything was right.

Eventually, the flood of emotions came to a close, and my extremities went numb. I let go of her as Professor Colbert approached, with another mage I didn't recognize.

"Michael, are you alright? I brought a water mage for you if you need-"

"Its alright, I'm fine now," I said, wearily looking at Louise. She blushed, and turned away. He looked rather concerned nonetheless.

"Well, just in case, we'll run a checkup on you."

The water mage ran a few spells over me. They gave me a sort of tingly feeling, it's hard to describe. It's like the time Wardes used that healing potion on me, only this time it wasn't as tingly. Apparently, other than mental aftershock I was fine and ready to go.

The Water mage left, and Colbert proceeded with his question from earlier.

"Michael… what was it that you saw?"

I considered if I should tell him what I saw. I don't really think he would understand, but even if he tried to, I'm not sure if I should tell him…

"…Sorry, but I'd rather not talk about it."

"I see… Well, if that's the case, can you try a spell?"

"I'll try but-"

"…What?" Louise growled. Her face suddenly became pale, and her eyes flashed dangerously as she stood up. I followed suit.

"Yeah… I'm learning how to do magic… still trying to figure it out though…"

"Magic?" she asked in a dead tone.

"Yeah…that's what I said…"

"Magic?" she repeated, this time looking at Colbert.

"Yes, Miss Vallière. Michael is here so that I might instruct him in magic theory and in the use of-"

"MAGIC?" she shrieked. "H-how is it possible f-for _h-him_ to use m-magic?" Her voice was painfully shrill as she flung a wild, almost accusing finger at me.

"Now, Miss Vallière, I think it would be best for you to calm down. Its not confirmed if Michael can use spells yet, he is only able to access the power to use magic. Before we make any unnecessary decisions, we need to see if he can perform magic or not."

""B-But-!"

"No buts. Save them for after we experiment." Colbert said sternly. Louise glared at him, and then turned to stare at me with blazing eyes for a moment before she shut her mouth. Thank god, if Colbert weren't here I would have been fried.

"…Wait a second, what am I going to use as a medium for my magic?"

"Well, usually magi must use a wand or a staff to cast spells. Some of the wands are uniquely shaped and made, such as Guiche's, which was made from the stem of a rose."

"Argh, does that mean I have to buy a wand or something? Can't I just use Delfringer?"

"I can't say for sure. We can try it. If you can, it could lead to new discoveries of magic!" Colbert replied. His eyes were filled with academic zeal. He must be thinking of all the possibilities. Personally, I'm excited. If I can use magic I want to try experimenting with it. Maybe I can do all those cool flashy moves they do in anime!

Louise was less than enthusiastic. She watched my every movement with hard eyes and crossed arms.

Raising up Delfringer, I closed my eyes, and brought myself into focus. I threw out all other useless thoughts, and braced myself for anything. Scared yet determined, I launched myself into the darkness, but this time it was different. I felt the barrier, but instead of the wave of emotions, I felt something else. It was like when I first probed the barrier. The dark energy emitted from it was weak, but as I pushed forward, I could feel it getting stronger.

…_Fear…_

The voice made me stop in place. I listened again for the voice.

_Use your fear…let it make you angry…_

The voice was rasp and deep. I didn't know whose it was; yet I feel like I've heard it before.

_Fear begets anger… anger becomes strength… let your rage flow… embrace it, accept it, and become stronger!_

The voice's words seemed to make sense to me. It was true. Whenever I was angry, I used that to make my swings harder. I used my anger to make me move faster, because I didn't want to get hit. When I did get hit, I became angrier, and pushed my body to move faster than ever before. The anger I felt pushed me to strive higher, and not be content with where I was. I was angry with where I was. I was angry with myself for being weak. I hated myself for being unable to protect my friends. Not anymore. I'll become stronger, no matter what the cost!

As if sensing my resolve, the barrier around the dark energy closed. Instead of repelling me like before, the dark energy accepted me, and I accepted it. I could feel the energy begin to rush through my veins as if it was my own blood. The overflow of power felt absolutely stunning.

I channeled it into Delfringer. The magic moved as I wished, and the energy gathered into Delfringer, ready to explode. I opened my eyes, and before I unleashed the energy, Colbert interrupted me.

"It seems you have the power under control. Lets try starting off with a basic spell first. Cast a fireball at that tree."

"A fireball? Sure, sounds easy enough…"

Imagining a fireball, I pointed Delfringer forward and yelled "FIRE!" I yelled. A black ball formed at the end of Delfringer, and raced forward, slamming into the tree, incinerating it. It looked oddly similar to Kingdom heart's firaga spell.

"Alright! That was awesome!" I said in awe.

"Very impressive Michael! It seems you have much potential. Now, I would like you to create one of your own right now."

"Huh? You want me to make a spell?"

"Yes. Most magicians have a sort of signature spell that they use. It isn't necessarily a created one, but I want to see what you can come up with. You are from another world right? Perhaps we will see something new!"

"Something new huh…" I mumbled. There are a bunch of moves that I could possibly make for them. Getsuga Tensho, a Cero, Brisingr, Inferno Divider, a whole bunch of other things that I wanted to try. But still, just like them I want to create my own signature technique. I should try thinking of something that represents me. I want something that's strong and sounds cool. But most of all, I want something powerful. Ideas swirled in my head like a snake, Getsuga Tensho shape…Fire style… awesome name…

Finally, I grasped something.

"Blazing Fang!" I yelled, slashing the ground in an upward motion. On cue, a dark purple wave of flame burst out with amazing speed, incinerating and splitting the ground as it went. Oddly enough, it looked like Cloud's Blade Beam. Y'know, the one he used in the Advent Children movie?

My thoughts were interrupted as my spell smashed into the court wall, followed by a loud explosion, causing all of us to lose our balance. When the smoke cleared, we were astonished to see the wall crumbled.

"Holy crap! That's awesome!" I yelled out with glee. Oh man, this is awesome! I CAN FINALLY USE MAGIC! I looked at Louise. I wanted her to see this. I wanted her to be happy for me, to be excited with me.

Her face was utterly pale as she stared at me, her hands clenched into fists so hard that she was actually trembling.

"Louise…?" I called, instantly concerned. I automatically made forward, but she stepped immediately back, shaking her head from side to side, mumbling something too quiet for me to hear.

"Louise, what's wrong?" I asked again, but she had already turned heel and fled.

"Louise!" All my elation from being able to use magic was forgotten; it was like I had just yelled in her face and stormed out on her again. God, what happened now?

Wait a second…Louise pissed off…me learning magic…Commoner and Noble Status…

Oh no.

"Amazing…!" Colbert said, totally oblivious to the scene that had just happened. I dragged myself out enough of depression to listen to what he had to say. I could deal with Louise later. But I couldn't help but think abotu her. We just made up too...

"Well, it seems that you can use magic. This is amazing but…" he said, deep in thought.

"But what?" I asked.

"… No, its nothing. But I'm interested in that spell. Blazing Fang was it? Interesting title you've come up with. How did you think something like that up?"

"Oh, how do I explain it…" I replied. I can't tell him its from an anime, they don't even know what that is. Maybe I could tell them Dorian used it?

"… Dorian used a similar spell on me."

That didn't have the effect I wanted. Instead, now he looked even more concerned.

"If that's the case, I would like to request that you try to create something else."

"What? But why?"

"That spell as you can see, is very destructive. Also, while quite rare the color of your element can represent the person. Mine for example, is Blue. Yours is a dark purple… I've only seen it used by one man in my entire life."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was a student, there was another proficient fire mage as I. The color of his fire was the same as yours."

_I don't see why he has such an interest in you… Honestly, always grabbing what he wants…_

Dorian's words echoed in my mind. Could Dorian's mentor be the same person?

"Please tell me about him." I said sternly, Colbert looked very concerned and for a moment, I thought he wasn't going to tell me.

"…Come with me to my office. We will discuss things there."

And that's the end of that chapter. I had a bit of fun writing it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. R&R, and see you next chapter!


	21. Denial No More

Change my Destiny 21

Hey guys, sorry for the wait! This chapter was a pain in the ass to write. I had a huge writers block even though I knew what I wanted to put and I had Summer School which really stressed me for freshman: NEVER TAKE MATH FOR SUMMER SCHOOL. YOU WILL DIE. Also school just started, and I'm in my final year before going to Uni, so I don't have much time to spare.

Anyway, enough of that. On with the story!

The silence was driving me out of my mind.

The tension was sickening as I sat at his desk, arms crossed with impatience. I probably would have said something to break the silence but the air itself seemed to be as thick as honey, making it difficult to breathe. Colbert sat across from me, deep in thought, apparently still thinking of what to say.

The thing is, it's been half an hour since he told me to come to his office, and I was really starting to lose my patience. I was dying to move on in my training.

Finally, Colbert broke the silence.

"Now, where to begin…" he said, sitting back in his chair comfortably. The air was so tense I couldn't help but sit straight, eager to listen to what he had to say.

"His name was Astor Etienne Durante de Boleyn. He was a triangular prodigy. There are very rare few who were as talented as he was. He was able to control wind, water and fire unlike any other. Fire was his strongest element. Just like you, his spells were…unique. He created a vast amount of spells that were very unique, yet dangerously effective. He created Ice spells that could freeze a person from the inside using the water in a person's body. He developed a fire shield that's impenetrable from the outside. There was also a wind spell that could stop the oxygen flow in your body. As you can tell, he preferred and excelled in creating spells that were for military and combat use."

"Wow…just, wow." Damn, I really needed to start making spells like those!

"It _was _amazing, " Colbert agreed. "With those spells, Astor probably would have made a fearsome addition to Tristein's military forces-"

Probably…? Wait, what? He isn't a Knight or something?

"-If he hadn't tested them on other students."

"What?" I gasped.

Colbert nodded. "Astor created these spells using his own considerable knowledge and talent, but he couldn't be sure of how well they worked unless he cast them on somebody first."

"He _used _those spells on people? But, if he used spells like those…those students, did they-?"

"They died," Colbert nodded. "A few of them, the luckier ones, lived, but were severely maimed. More than a dozen students were killed when he was found out."

"That's…that's just... Why the hell would he use magic to torture people like that?"

"I guess only Astor himself would understand the reasoning behind what he did. Although I suspect it was his own genius that made him so twisted. He found that the magic we learned was inefficient. Obsolete, he called it. 'Magic has existed since the creation of our country, yet we have made no progress. Evolution is necessary to move forward.' Those were his words when his crimes were found out."

"So he's in jail now, huh?"

Colbert shook his head. "He was to be arrested, but he escaped using more spells of his creation. With magic, he managed to hide his trail, and nobody's seen or heard of him since."

"You mean… he just vanished? Like, he didn't create some sort of league of super evil or something lame like that?"

"Well… no. He only sought to revolutionize magic. As far as I have seen, he did not use it for anything like that."

"Well, moving on did you know if he had an apprentice or something?"

"No, he secluded himself from others. I think he preferred it that way."

"I see… but this is strange. Why would a guy like him be interested in me?"

"Perhaps he see's you as another evolution in magic. In any case, you should be careful what you do and where you go from now on."

"I will. Thank you for the information." I got up from my seat, and after a short goodbye, I left Colbert alone in his shack.

I ended up wandering around the in courtyard afterward, thinking over everything Colbert had just discussed with me. Judging from what he told me, I really could be an evolution in magic. But was it even possible for magic to evolve? I thought of my own world, with all of it's ever growing technology. 100 years ago, all the video games, cars, planes, and computers would've seemed impossible. The technology on Earth had "evolved"…was it so impossible to think that magic here could also evolve?

I sat down on a bench in the Vestri court, staring at the sky. Just who is this Astor guy, and what does he want with me? Does he know that I'm from another world? Maybe he does, but knowing that would probably mean he wants to know what I know. If Colbert is as dangerous as he says, then my capturing is not an option. Who knows what he could come up with if he had the technological advances my world had? He could bring Tristein in its entirety to his knees.

I'm never going to let that happen. If anything, I will be the one to reign over Tristein! Just kidding. I have no interest in ruling a country. It sounds like a pain in the ass anyway.

Sighing, I got up, stretching out my limbs.

I decided to head back to Louise's room. I could think about that stuff later; right now, I needed to talk to Louise.

God knows how devastated she must have been when she found out I could use magic. I don't blame her, but hasn't her magic been improving lately? Now that I think about it, she did cast a spell during our fight with Wardes. But why was it changing now? And hadn't Colbert suggested the possibility that Louise could use the legendary Void element? If she really could, that would make her a famous mage! Her life would be completely different from now!

If only it had…

Before I knew it, I was standing in front of Louise's dorm.

"Hey partner…is it really such a good idea to talk with her right now? She was rather…put out, wasn't she?" Del asked me.

"Well, there's nothing else for it, right?"

"If you say so, partner."

Hesitating, I knocked rather loudly. What was I going to say? How would I comfort her? She probably won't even talk to me anyway, let alone look at me.

This is gonna be a problem…

No one answered, so I called "Hey, it's me. If you're changing tell me now 'cause I'm coming in."

Once again, there was no reply. I opened the door, to find the room empty.

Well, aren't I smart? She isn't even here. Sighing, I closed the door behind me, and plopped myself on her chair. I jumped slightly, surprised at my reflection in her mirror.

My black hair, which used to be short finely trimmed and combed, had grown to the point where the tips of my ears were covered, and my bangs almost reached my eyes. My face seemed to be slightly broader than I remembered, and there was a faint scar on top of the right side of my forehead. It's probably from when Wardes smashed me into the wall. My skin, which was lightly tanned, was even darker than before. Well, I have been out a lot more often, and swinging Delfringer probably improved my muscular form, but I wasn't about to check. Why? Because I don't feel like it, and the laws of physics pretty much state that I have grown in strength.

Sighing again, I plopped my feet up on Louise's desk, leaned the chair back on two legs, and rested my hands behind my head. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

"What do I do now, Del?" I asked out loud. "I can't talk to Louise myself…she'll probably just get pissed. It'd be best if she would approach me, but I don't see that happening."

"Why not get somebody to talk to her for you?"

"Huh…yeah, that could work. Who, though? Guiche is an idiot, so definitely not him… and not Tabitha, for obvious reasons..."

"What about Kirche?"

"Kirche might just piss her off…I guess Montmorency would be the best choice. Thanks, Del."

"Glad to help, partner."

Finally, with something to do, I marched out the door.

…

After a brief search, I found Montmorency in the mess hall with her familiar frog on her head. The hall was only about half-full, since it was a sort of self-study day from what I heard. And we all know what everyone does on those days… but seriously, it's a self-study day, and the teachers just let 'em study where they want? That's not fair! Why can't we have that?

I approached Montmorency, my footsteps muffled by the surrounding clumps of gossiping students. A few gave me strange looks as I approached her, but I ignored them.

Various books surrounded Montmorency, who didn't seem to notice my presence. Looking at each one of them, she scribbled away on a piece of paper in characters I didn't recognize. Now what I think about it, the characters in this world were very odd. It reminded me of the Japanese. It was written in a sort of Katakana like fashion. The only difference was their lines were straight. If I remember right, some Katakana had curved lines.

Montmorency's familiar frog looked up at me with its black, beady eyes, and croaked at its master. Montmorency jumped in a strangely guilty manner then abruptly slammed the cover of the book in front of her shut.

"Eh? Who is it?" She said in a sharp tone as she hastily started closing the books around her.

"Hi, Montmorency." I watched her shove the books out of sight curiously She obviously didn't want anybody to see what she was reading. Just what was she researching?

"A-Ah, if it isn't Louise's familiar," Montmorency said, trying and failing to speak in a casual tone. "You caught me by surprise… What's your name again?" she asked as she folded the piece of paper she was holding so that nobody could read what was written on it.

"It's Michael."

"Ah, well, as you can see Michael, I'm rather busy at the moment making a rather important… list. Could you come back later?"

"A list? For what? Don't tell me you're making a love potion or something. Hah, that'll be the-"

I was cut off when she suddenly slapped her hand over my mouth.

"Mmph?" I hadn't expected _this _reaction at all.

"Not. A Word!" She hissed at me. For some reason, she had turned a brilliant shade of red. She stood up from her chair, grabbed the collar of my shirt and with a surprising amount of strength, pulled me up close. It was rather noisily done, actually. Several people nearby were staring at us.

"Sorry – will you please excuse us?" Montmorency said as she pulled me violently out of the mess hall and into the hall outside, where it was deserted.

"What the hell, Monmon? I was just- "

"Be quiet!" She hissed, glancing at the students in the mess hall. "Who told you?" she whispered menacingly. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and she gave me a piercing glare.

I think I now know how Kyon feels when Haruhi glares at him…

Then what I'd said and her reaction clicked together.

"Wait, you mean I was right? That was supposed to be a joke!"

"If you tell anyone about this… ANYONE… I swear by the founder that you will suffer something far worse than a thousand deaths."

She can't be serious… I call extortion! But, I guess I could use this to my advantage.

"Hmph, you don't want me to tell anyone? Fine, I won't, on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"I want you to help me with something."

"What's 'something'?" she asked me suspiciously, but she did let go of my collar.

"I'll tell you when we get out of here."

"What?" She exclaimed. "Why do we have to go somewhere else for me to hear this condition of yours?"

"I don't want people to hear us."

She stiffened suddenly.

"What do you mean…?" she asked nervously. Huh? Why is she so nervous?

"I meant what I said, now come on. Pack your stuff cause we're leaving."

"Where are we going?" She asked. A panicked look stretched across her face.

Then it hit me.

"… Dear God, Montmorency, you're not thinking I'm going to rape you or something are you? I just want you to talk to Louise about something for me. Jeez…" I sighed, scratching the back of my head.

"Oh… OH…" Montmorency turned crimson.

"Talk about misunderstandings," I mumbled.

"Shut up! In any case, I think you should find someone else to do it – Hey, let of me!" I grabbed her arm so that she couldn't get away.

"You know, if somebody doesn't talk to Louise for me, I might _accidentally _let it slip that Montmorency's been making a you-know-what."

"You wouldn't dare," she said, but turned deathly white.

"Oh, wouldn't I?"

"You...you mangy commo- GUICHE!" She suddenly shrieked, waving to somebody behind my shoulder. "GUICHE, HELP ME, HE WAS THREATENING TO MOLEST ME!"

"What-?" I let go of her, and spun around, but there was nobody there. Montmorency was making a run for the mess hall.

"Oh, no you don't!" I lunged at her, grabbing at her waist. Almost at the same moment, she lost her footing and we somehow both ended up tripping over each other's feet. She let out a scream and I grunted as we crashed to the floor.

"Oh, my," I heard Del say in an amused tone.

"Shut up, Del…and what the hell was that, Montmorency?" I said furiously then I was silent as I saw the rather…awkward position we were in. Montmorency, who seemed rather keen on making me shut up, was sprawled on the floor under me in a… dare I say very sexy position. And here I was, crawling on top.

Oh crap, I just experienced one of those typical anime clichés! So they DO happen in real life! Man, I've always wondered what they were like but…

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE FOUNDER IS GOING ON HERE?" cried a voice I recognized all too well….

I looked up to see what looked like everybody from the mess hall in a huge crowd, staring at us with expressions that ranged from shock to disgust. It looked like all of Montmorency's screaming had drawn them all here. And, speak of the devil, Guiche was also there, with a face I have never seen him have before. It was like a mix of crazed anger, complete shock and utter disbelief. It was an ugly sight.

"Ouch...that hurt, you- Guiche? What are you…?" Montmorency started, but it was then she realized our predicament. She screamed again, louder than the other times, and slapped my face, knocking me off.

"Get off Montmorency right now, you filthy lowlife! How dare you do such a thing, and in public! This is unacceptable! I will not stand for it!" Guiche yelled. The crowd of people let out angry yells of agreement.

Great… Now what?

"Yes, you saw right - he pushed me over and-" Montmorency started, but I grabbed her arm.

"Oh no, you're getting out of this one missy. You're gonna help me whether you like it or- WHOA!" I started, but suddenly a plate whizzed past where my head was a second ago. I turned, to see one of the students holding her wand up.

"He's trying to molest her again! GET HIM!"

Awww crap.

I immediately let go of Montmorency, and bolted for the exit. I could hear the students behind me getting ready to cast spells. The students in front of me blocked the exit.

"You're not getting away!" A second year said angrily, casting a fire spell at me, which I ducked. I could smell burning hair; he'd singed the top of my head.

I skidded to a stop, crouched low, and jumped using my familiar strength. Thank God I had Del with me. Spells skid past me as I soared through the air, landing on a poor student's shoulders. Propelling myself off him, I bounced off and between the students like a pinball. One of them tried to close the door, but just as it shut I did a quick aerial through the gap.

Catching my breath for an instant, the door opened again, but just before it could open all the way and send me twirling to the floor, I jammed my heel against it, slamming it shut again. I then proceeded to run away as fast as the wind would carry me.

Goddamn Montmorency, this is all her fault! If she didn't pull me over, none of this would have happened! Goddamn it, it's like the horse reins all over again!

I turned the corner to catch my breath, looking everywhere for a hiding spot. I could hear their voices behind me, so I just decided to screw it and outrun them.

Worst choice of my life.

I bolted down the courtyard again, the students and their familiars hot on my heels thanks to my little break. A shadow passed over me, and Sylphid Landed right in front of where I would have been if I were a little faster.

"Oh, I'm not gonna fall for that again!" I yelled. I ran up Sylphid's belly, grabbed his neck and used it to propel myself forward as I jumped.

… Only to land in a hole. Damn, this is DEEP! Must be at least 10 feet…

"We finally have you now you, perverted commoner! Good job setting up that hole Guiche!" one of the students said as they approached. I immediately jumped out of the hole, but before I could get away I felt my legs suddenly felt very cold. I turned, to see my feet frozen to the floor. They surrounded me, their wands ready.

"Take away weapons from him; he'll be helpless then!" One said. One of them approached me, but I lifted Delfringer up high.

"This is gonna hurt, but I refuse to be captured!"

"Oh my god, he's going to cut his feet off?" One shouted. I brought down Delfringer with all my strength, but there was a gust of wind, and Delfringer flew from my grasp.

…Damn, so much for that.

Now that I was stuck, the mob of students started babbling loudly amongst themselves.

"This THING needs something awful done to it!" One of the female students cried. I turned my head towards her, and glared at her. She recoiled.

"Somebody tell principal?"

"No, he wouldn't care."

"At least, Louise the Zero needs to know. Kirche, you go get her! Bring Montmorency as a witness!"

"Ugh...you don't think that he...you know...his own master...?"

"You never know... didn't Louise say that it never obeyed her?"

"How horrible!"

"How horrible indeed…"

"I never molested that cutting board, you selfish unrighteous excuses for nobles!" I yelled. Some of them gasped. The rest were angry.

"He just insulted his master!"

"Well, it is true… Louise the Zero is zero at even that."

"But still, his own master?"

"How dare you insult us, you ungrateful Mongrel!" one yelled. He walked up to me, and tried to punch me in the face. Before he could, I parried his pathetic attempt for a punch, and slammed my palm into his chin, sending him tumbling to the ground, dazed. My hands suddenly strapped themselves behind my back as if they had magnets on them.

"What the hell?" I yelled struggling some more.

"How dare you, keep you're filthy hands to yourself!" One of the student's friends yelled.

Great… What am I gonna do now?

…

Louise POV

I rocked back and forth on my bed, hugging my knees to me. Now that I think about it, ever since I've met Michael, I've ended up doing this a lot.

Everything's gone wrong ever since I summoned him! Agh, just thinking about that idiot really frustrates me! That stupid, rude, disobedient, inattentive commoner! Why does _he _have to be my familiar? Always chasing after power, always wanting "to become stronger", always causing endless trouble for _me, _his master!

"He should just die, that stupid DOG!" I yelled, thrashing on my bed in frustration. "Everything's his fault! It's because of _him _that I'm so miserable! Ugh!" I grabbed my pillow and threw it across the room vehemently.

It was a petty thing to do. But I'm in a petty sort of mood.

Since…it really isn't Michael I'm upset with, actually. I'm not angry at all. This time, I'm alone because I'm too ashamed to see anyone, least of all Michael.

"Why do I even try? A failure like me who can't even cast simple spells," I mumble into my knees, hugging myself tightly again. "It's like I was never meant to be a Noble at all."

I guess I really am Louise the Zero. The only second-year without an element affinity, the failure with the success rate of zero…and the only mage in the world who has a familiar who can use magic better than her.

_This is partially his fault though,_ I think ruefully. If only he hadn't gone off to Colbert to learn magic. Then he would've have never turned out to be some sort of prodigy that's a familiar to a mage like me. Geez, isn't he strong enough even without this new power? Why is he so obsessed with getting stronger all the time?

I guess that part is my fault. Although he never obeys me, the idiot always concerns himself with protecting me – which is, of course, exactly as a familiar _should _behave – but why is this the _only _thing that he does like a familiar should?

Although I guess I already know why he protects me all the time.

"_I don't fight because I think I can win… I fight because I have to win!"_

"_For her? For a love that will not be? Don't flatter yourself Gandalf."_

I feel my face grow hot as I remembered our fight with Wardes. He fights because he has to win? Why does he have to win? To get stronger? Or… for me?

Just what am I supposed to do?

"Michael…"

The door suddenly flew open, and my thoughts disappeared from my head. I lifted my head to see Kirche walk in, with Montmorency close behind her.

"Ah, Louise, there you are." Kirche said. I turned back around.

"Go away." I really didn't need to see her right now. Why did it have to be her of all people? Why now?

"Go away? Ah, and here I was hoping you could go help darling. He has such rotten luck, being captured by an angry mob of students. I wonder if they did anything to him yet? Maybe I should go check, since you're not interested." she said in a mocking tone.

"...What? What did he do this time?" I groan. Just how much trouble does he like to get into? It's almost as if he's been cursed with bad luck! Or does he do this on purpose?

"Well, you see," Montmorency started awkwardly. "The thing is, Michael asked me for help with an errand… But some thing happened, and we ended up in an awkward situation… and now, well, they all think that he was trying to molest me, and they ended up chasing him down… Please, you have to stop them!"

"Why would they listen to me?"

" Well, they're not going to let darling defend himself," Kirche said. "Which is why we need _you, _his master, to speak up for him. Besides, are you going to just let a angry mob do what they will with your familiar?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but shut it again. Why should I go help him? That idiot probably deserves what he's getting, and I really don't want to see him right now. I don't need to associate myself with him anymore. He can use magic now; he'll be fine on his own… but… I can't just leave him… It isn't his fault I can't use magic… but maybe that's just me dodging the question.

"He's hopeless," I sigh, and swing my legs off of the bed. "Alright, I'll go."

"Great!" Montmorency looked relieved. "So I guess I can go n-"

"You're coming with us," I interrupted her. "You need to explain things to this angry mob, and it sounds like this is as much your fault as it is his."

"That it is," Kirche confirmed, rolling her eyes. "It was her screaming that made them all think that he was molesting her in the first place."

I nodded. "You're coming with us," I repeated.

"Oh, why me…?" she complained as we rushed down the staircase.

I wonder what I'm going to say to Michael. But I guess I should worry first about what I should say to this mob of angry students in front of me.

"What do you think you're doing to my familiar?" I shouted at the top of my voice as we approached. Almost everybody in the crowd of people turned to look at me.

"Hey, it's Louise!"

"Oh, Zero, are you going to punish it properly this time?"

I ignore them and push my way through the crowd, dragging Montmorency with me until I reach the middle where I can see Michael.

Ugh. It seems like he manages to get himself battered up the moment I take my eyes off of him. He stood still of course, since his feet were frozen to the ground – the mob of students must have done that to keep him from running. His arms were strapped behind his back. A binding spell probably. He stared silently at me. I couldn't tell what he was thinking with that expression.

I'd deal with him later. First, I had to get rid of this crowd.

"Careful, Louise – you don't know what it's going to do if you get that close to it!" One of the female students called out. I turned to glare at her.

"Do you think I can't be in the presence of my own familiar? That I can't control him?"

"W-well," she started but I cut her off.

"And just what are you implying about my familiar? Just what kind of a person do you think he is?" I turned away from the unnerved female student and raise my voice to address the crowd, which looked a good deal less angry by now. "There's no reason for you all to be here and treating my familiar like this. It's all just a misunderstanding – one that Montmorency will be happy to clear up for us, won't you?"

"Yes, of course," she muttered and then cleared her throat. Just as Montmorency was about to speak, she and Michael seemed to exchange a few glances, before she started speaking. I wonder what that was about. Was I missing something here?

"Louise and Michael are telling the truth," Montmorency explained. "Nothing happened. When you heard me scream, it was just because I tripped. Michael was just trying to help me but we both lost our balance. That's when you found us and it led to this. Michael's innocent – you can put away your wands now."

"What? That's it?"

"I'm so embarrassed…"

"Oh, so that's how it is?"

"Wow, this really got out of hand, didn't it?"

Now that the situation was cleared up, everybody began to relax. Some people were slightly relieved, others annoyed. Some people ended up apologizing to Montmorency and I. Nobody seemed to take any notice of Michael, who seemed rather sour about that. Slowly, everyone left until it was just Kirche, Montmorency, Michael, and I.

"Hold still darling, let me melt the ice," said Kirche, pulling her wand out and taking aim.

"Just don't melt off my feet… I like them where they are." He sighed with relief as the ice holding his feet melted. "Finally, I can move again…man, I'm sore from being held by all those spells. Those jerks didn't even apologize… not that I expected them to."

"Well, now that that's settled, I think I'm going to go now…" said Montmorency. Michael gave her a look, and then sighed.

"Okay, fine. You can go."

"Bye, Montmorency!" Kirche waves to her and then turns her attentions to Michael. She looks him up and down with smoldering eyes. "Oh, my poor darling! You must ache all over…say, what about you go up to my room where I can make you more comfortable?"

"Errr…I think-"

"That we'll be going back up to my room," I cut in, glaring at Kirche before I turned to walk back to the dorms. "Come on, Michael."

"Yeah, sure…um, thanks anyways Kirche."

"Geez, that Louise…well I guess you've got to go. See you later, darling!" With that, Kirche turned and walked off towards the mess hall. She probably has another date to go on…that shameless flirt. If only she'd stop paying attention to Michael. Doesn't she have enough guys tailing along after her already?

I turn my head with a little puff of impatience "Let's go." I say and start walking back to the dorms. I don't look to check if he's following but I can hear his footsteps behind me.

We walked back to my room in silence. Michael didn't say a word, but I could almost feel his cold stare against my back. Was he still angry with me? What should I say to him?

I should start with an apology. _"I decided to forgive you for now. Be grateful"_

… No, that's too harsh. Ugh, Why is it so hard to apologize? Why should I even apologize to this jerk? He should apologize to me! No, that's still not right. It's not his fault… It's partially his fault, but he shouldn't apologize. It has to be me… It has to be…

I opened the door to my room, which took less time that I expected to get to. I sat on the bed, and he leaned himself against the doorframe, staring silently. He didn't say anything. He didn't do anything. He simply waited.

Was he waiting for me to apologize?

I sighed.

"… Why are you staring at me like that?" I asked.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" He replied slowly. He looked at me with unfamiliar eyes. Eye's I have never seen on him before. Just what was he asking for?

It doesn't matter. No matter what, I have to apologize…

"Michael, I think its time we did a review of your behavior recently."

"Oh joy." He said sarcastically. I wanted to walk up to him and knock some sense into him, but I resisted. Doing so would only make matters worse.

"I want you to explain why you want to learn magic."

"What? Why? Don't you already know? To get stronger!"

"Aren't you strong enough? Aren't you satisfied with what you already have?"

"No, I'm not. Why would I be?"

"What? What do you mean why would you be?" I said, raising my voice. His expression hardened.

"Louise, I'm not as strong as you make me to be. I may have my familiar powers, but beyond that I have nothing. This world is much bigger than both of us realize, and I want to be prepared for anything that may come our way. I've been relying too much on my powers Louise. And you know what? One day, it's probably going to fail me when I need it the most."

"What makes you so sure it will fail you? It's been fine so far."

"That's my point. It's been fine so far. Things have been going well, too well. If I end up relying on it too much, one-day karma's going to come around the corner, bite me in the ass and I'll be powerless. I won't be able to protect you guys! I refuse to let that happen!" He yelled. He sounded like he was in pain, but I held my composure. He wants to be strong to protect us?

"Michael, we aren't as weak as you think."

"I'm not talking about them." He replied harshly. Michael averted his gaze, refusing to look at me.

"What, you mean you think I can't take care of myself?"

"It's been that way so far."

"What? I can take care of myself thank you very much!"

"What? No you can't, you can barely fight without me having to save your ass."

"Well if its such a pain for you, why do you even bother?"

I didn't know what happened next. Everything suddenly sped up. Michael, who seemed to snap, slammed the door shut in an attempt to control his anger. He looked hurt, disappointed and angry all at the same time.

"Why do I bother? Why do I bother? What do you mean why do I bother? Didn't we already go through this? Its because my so called master fails at the one thing that she's supposed to be good at!"

No…

Voices of the past suddenly echoed in my mind.

_Hey look, its Louise the Zero!"_

_Louise, stop learning magic and train to be a bride!_

_You deceived us quite well with that explosion Louise!_

No… No, no, no! I'm not a failure! I won't be a failure! I'll prove you all wrong…

I struggled to hold myself together, but nothing worked. The walls I built around my hearts started to crumble. My knees started shaking. My vision became blurry with tears, but I absolutely refused to let any fall.

"My so called master can't take care of herself. No, she has to get her familiar to do it! And guess what? Her familiar exceeds at the one thing that she wants to be! Stop lying to yourself Louise, _**YOU CAN'T USE MAGIC**_!

I couldn't take it anymore. The walls around my hearts were finally destroyed by Michael's words, and the tears started flowing. My whole body began to shake uncontrollably. I fell on my knees, and I started to cry.

"You're right! Okay I admit it you're right! I'm a failure! I'm worthless! I'm useless! I sobbed." "I can't use magic no matter how hard I try! I can't do anything properly… Why do I even try, even though I know deep in my heart I'm just another failure! Why can't I use magic? Why can't I just be like everyone else? Why do I exist?" A failure like me shouldn't even be here at this school! I-"

Before I could say anything else, my body was suddenly embraced by a strong grip. It took me a few seconds to realize it was Michael. The tears kept flowing, and Michael increased his grip.

Taking control of my outburst I asked, "What are you doing?"

He didn't reply.

"Michael, what are you-"

"You're not useless Louise."

"…What?"

"I said you're not useless."

"What do you mean? You just said I couldn't take care of myself… and now you're trying to comfort me?"

"I said you couldn't take care of yourself, I didn't say you were useless."

"That's not true… I'm useless… I shouldn't exist… I don't need to-"

"You're not useless Louise. No, you're more helpful than you realize." He held me tightly, yet his grip was gentle and controlled. A warm feeling began to rise in my chest, and I realized I didn't mind staying like this.

"Louise, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here today."

"What?"

"Its because of you I decided to stay in this world. Louise, if you weren't here I would have died the second I came to this world. You took me in even though you knew this wasn't what you wanted. You took care of me even though I was a pain to deal with. You helped me when I was dying, and you saved me when I was in danger. You may not be able to use magic Louise, but… I think that your kindness is your magic."

My face suddenly became very hot, and in an attempt to hide my expression, I buried my face in his shoulder.

"W-what do you mean my kindness? I'm not kind… I'm loud, indecisive…"

"But you are kind. You healed me when Guiche and I first fought. You took care of my injuries when we were on the pirate ship. You saved me when Wardes was about to attack me."

"That… that was just…"

I couldn't say anything. His words seemed to weave themselves into my heart, making it race. He let me go, and gently stroked my cheek. He wiped away the tears, and smiled.

"You wanted to know why I still protect you? Its simple."

He paused briefly as if for dramatic effect.

"Its because I love you Louise."

The room temperature suddenly increased tenfold, and I turned my head away, refusing to look at him. Why did he have to say that at a time like this? Why am I feeling so embarrassed?

"Y-y-y-you idiot! Saying something like that… a-a-are y-y-you trying t-to take advantage of me?"

"Well, you know me." He chuckled.

My gaze turned to the floor. I said those things, but deep in my heart I felt it. I may try to lie to myself, but lying only made that feeling stronger. Every time he touches me, holds me, speaks to me, all those times I spent with him only made that feeling grow stronger. During those times, it feels like he's the only thing that's matters.

As long as I'm with him, I can do anything…

I didn't want to hold it in anymore. I couldn't hold it in anymore. My feelings just exploded, and the words escaped before I could stop them.

"I love you too…" I whispered almost inaudibly.

"You say something? I couldn't hear-"

"I SAID I LOVE YOU TOO YOU IDIOT!" I screamed in his face. He tumbled and fell on his back, surprised by the sudden outburst. After a painful grunt, he lifted himself back up, with a dazed look on his face.

"W-why do you look like that? Making me waste my efforts in confessing to you… W-where's your respect?" I yelled accusingly, but I wasn't actually bothered.

A look of shock plastered itself of Michael's face as he realized what I said. His shock suddenly changed into happiness. A smile crept across his face.

"…Do you really mean that?"

"Yes, I do you idiot! You chase after me for so long and that's all you have to say?" I scowled fiercely at him. He just laughed. For a long moment, I stared into his dark brown eyes. I had turned away in disgust from them so many times, denying what I… what we truly wanted. But he did not falter. He kept moving forward, persistent in his approach, thinking he would win.

And he did.

I felt like a large weight was taken off my shoulders. I felt like a bird removed from its prison cage. I felt free.

I felt happy.

There was no more denying the truth. I was in love with Michael.

…

FINALLY! I FINISHED THE CHAPTER! GODDAMMIT I am SO sorry it took so long to finish this. But yeah, here it is in the flesh…paper…screen… whatever. And yeah, I know the ending of this chapter was REALLY cheesy. I tried to fix it up, but in the end I couldn't do much without changing it completely. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading, review and see you next chapter.

~CxP


	22. Endless Despair

Change my Destiny ch. 22

Okay, This is seriously starting to piss me off. I'm sorry that I reuploaded this chapter like 3 times already, but fanfiction is being stupid and won't correct the errors that I fix! I don't know whats up with the website, so I'm sorry again for the spam of mail from this stupid website _

Anyway, here's the next chapter.

…

Have you ever had those moments in your life where you've completely exhausted yourself? Well, probably not since most of humanity nowadays is spent sitting on their asses, like you probably are right now. Still, you sports players know what I'm talking about, right? Like, your heart is beating so fast that your body feels like it will collapse that second? Or like, your body feels like it has the weight of the world on its shoulders? Well, that's much how I'm feeling right now… except maybe, let's say - 1000 times worse?

"Michael, are you alright?" Louise's voice came from beside me. Dazed, I forced my eyes open. Everything was blurry, fading in and out. Catching my breath was exceedingly difficult. Damn it…I've been through my fair share of life threatening situations recently, but was I really that close to dying?

"God damn it… I can only do three?" I mumbled, placing my hand on my head. Everything was spinning, making me want to puke. Maybe it was a good thing that I hadn't eaten yet.

"Idiot!" I winced as Louise screamed directly into my ear. My head started throbbing. "Why is the only thing you can ever think about is how best to best exhaust yourself YET AGAIN?"

"Miss Vallière, please hold off your chastisement for just a moment," Colbert interrupted, sitting down next to me. Just the vibration from him sitting was making me feel worse. He held out a flask of some bright blue liquid towards me. "Here, drink this. It's imbibed with water magic."

"Thanks," I muttered, swallowing a mouthful. Immediately, my head stopped throbbing, and my vision cleared somewhat, although I still felt exhausted.

So, exactly what's going on? It's been a few weeks since my first "lesson", I guess you could call it, in magic. Every day since, I'd been practicing my invented spells outside Colbert's laboratory. Today was just more of the same...

"Feeling better?" Colbert asked.

"Yeah, thanks," I replied.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't need to see a water mage or anything, do you?" Louise demanded, brushing back my hair as she scrutinized my face anxiously.

"Stop worrying, I'm fine," I reassured her, taking one of her hands in mine. The warmth was comforting.

"Really?" Louise asked again.

"Really." I smiled at her. Reluctantly, she smiled back, her cheeks flushed just a little. We started when Colbert cleared his throat rather awkwardly. I dropped Louise's hand a little awkwardly and she looked away, the flush on her cheeks deepening.

Oh yeah…it's also been a few weeks since Louise and I started… well, I wouldn't call it dating per se, but it was close. We still fought, but more often than not we came to mutual agreements.

"Well, then…let's discuss this "Blazing Fang" spell you've created. Clearly it's very destructive, so it only makes sense that you can perform three a day."

"Why only three? Why not like five or ten. I mean, look at Kirche and Tabitha. They could fire spells all freaking day if they felt like it! Hell, even Guiche is better off than I am," I complained, frustrated. "I mean, if I'm just going to black out after a few of these, using it in a fight would be suicidal."

"Well, most mages have trained since a young age to build their willpower and endurance," Colbert explained. "By the time they enter this academy, most of them can usually fire as many spells as they please. This is mainly because the spells fired are not as taxing as yours. You only recently learned magic, so it would only make sense that your body cannot keep up. It's senseless comparing yourself to mages of Kirche and Tabitha's level."

"Damn, are you serious?" I mumbled, forcing myself up. As I struggled, Louise gave me some support. I gave her a thankful look. She didn't say anything though, but her face turned red, and she avoided eye contact. Typical.

"Is there a way to increase that stamina?" I asked, grunting as I sat up. Louise listened intently beside me. She probably wanted to know how to improve her magic as well.

"Well, there are various exercises that one is taught to increase their strength and control. However, while they existed, each varied for their elements. Since you are a fire mage, Kirche and myself could teach you what you need to know.

"Kirche, huh? She was pretty surprised when she found out I could use magic…

Speaking of that, _everyone _freaked out when I could use magic. Dealing with it these past few weeks have been a pain. Of course, the servants and maids were astonished. Siesta looks like she's on the verge of bowing down before me any day now in adoring worship. They praised me even more (if that's even possible), and the head chef even made me a few meals to celebrate.

Everyone else?

Well… For the most part, people see me as a sort of outcast. None of the nobles were able to accept that I could use magic, save for Louise and Professor Colbert. Not even Kirche believed me.

That is, until I showed them. It sure was hell trying to calm everyone down, especially Kirche.

"Well then, I think for now you should take the rest of the day off, Michael. You have almost reached your limit, and I wouldn't want to push you past that just yet", said Colbert, as he helped me up to my feet. Louise followed me close behind.

"What happens if I go past the limit?" I asked.

He was silent, deep in thought for a moment. I knew the answer already, but I wanted to know just in case I missed anything.

"Well, if it were under normal circumstances, the magic wouldn't even come to you. Even if it did, it would most likely either be too weak to do anything, or even backfire on you."

"What if it were the worst case scenario?" Louise asked.

"Well… Aside from being severely injured physically and mentally, you could die."

Well, I expected as much.

"I'll be careful then. Thank you for the lessons, professor", I said cheerfully, waving goodbye.

"My pleasure. Well then, if you will excuse me I have to leave", said Colbert, who seemed to be rushing.

"Did something happen?" asked Louise.

"Actually, I found clues as to where the legendary dragons I told you about, Michael. It truly is an amazing stroke of luck!", he said ecstatically.

"Really? Wow that's interesting. Do you think we can come along?"

Colbert came to a stop.

"…No, I'm afraid I may have to refuse you that."

"Huh? But why, professor?" asked Louise.

"These are legendary dragons, Miss Vallière. Please do not take them lightly. I may not be able to protect you two if the dragons were to go berserk. I would feel terrible if something were to happen to you two… especially since Michael is in no condition to defend himself right now. So please…"

Can't argue about that. Especially since I just wasted my energy on this training. Damn, so much for fighting a dragon… I guess it can't be helped.

"…Alright then," I said unwillingly.

As Colbert walked away, Louise walked in front of me, giving me a stern look.

"Did you hear that Michael? He told you, you will die if you push yourself too hard!"

"Huh? Yes I heard him. I don't need you to tell me that."

"No, you didn't! Who do you take me for? You're probably going to go off tonight to do some secret training, like you have been for the last several nights aren't you?"

Shit…I guess my ninja skills aren't as good as I thought they were. I kept a straight face though as I replied, "What are you talking about? Besides, why do you care what I do and don't do?"

"Ugh! Of course I care you stupid dog! I'm worried about you! How do you think I will feel if you suddenly died because you overexerted yourself?" Louise shrieked, then immediately turned bright scarlet.

With a huff, she turned around too hide her expression, her arms crossed. Uh oh, I just pissed her off… again.

"Alright… I'm sorry."

She didn't reply. I couldn't help but sigh. Sneaking slowly behind her, I embraced her from behind, wrapping my arms around her slim waist.

"H-Hey, what do you think you're doing?" She cried out, trying to squirm away, but I just held on tighter.

"I'm sorry, Louise… please don't hate me," I said as gently as I could, letting my head rest on her collar. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly.

"H-h-hey, what do you think you're doing in public?"

"I know this is probably a bad time, but don't you think you lovers might want to save this for bed time?" laughed Delfringer.

That made me let go. Louise hurriedly put distance between us, fixing her clothes in the process.

"Ugh, Michael! You need to stop doing that!"

"What, why? You know you like it."

"What do you mean of course I like it? I don't!" Louise protested, her face still rather pink. "What would happen if someone were to see us? My family name will be forever stained because I fell in love with a commoner!"

"Technically, isn't Michael a noble now?" asked Delfringer.

"You may be able to use magic, but that doesn't mean you're a noble. Remember what Miss Longueville said? There are people who can use magic but are not nobles!"

"But those are nobles stripped of their titles! Besides, I don't like keeping this a secret. It's very restricting." I sighed, scratching my head. Louise, unable to reply, looked at her feet to avoid my gaze.

"But…" she said, her voice very small.

Damn, I seriously cannot deny her when she does that. It's just… ugh…

"Okay, fine. You win. We'll keep this a secret."

She looked up at me and smiled, but she couldn't fool me. She knew that doing that puts her at an advantage. I could just feel it the smug knowledge emitting off that smile of hers…

Ah, whatever.

"Well, I have to get back to class," said Louise, breaking my chain of thought.

"Oh… okay then."

She turned, and walked away. I watched her as she turned the corner, wondering what she was thinking. I sighed as she vanished from sight.

"Man, I'm still tired from training… what to do now…"

"Why not go visit—" Del started, but he was cut off.

"Hello, Michael!" I jumped, caught off guard as somebody called brightly from behind me. But as tired as I was, I was unable to recover in time and ultimately fell on the floor.

"Oh my, are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you like that…" said Siesta anxiously, standing over me. I sat up, scratching the back of my head.

"Oh, Siesta, hi.", I replied. Siesta was dressed in a one-piece leather dress that reached her knees, with a white cardigan-looking jacket over it. Her legs were covered with long stockings, and she was holding a suitcase. I raised my eye at this.

"What's going on? You heading somewhere?"

"Oh yes! I am going to visit my family in Tarbes. A few days from now is the day my great grandfather died, so I will be paying my respects." She looked at me with huge eyes filled with admiration. Ugh…was she still going on about that?

"Your great grandfather, huh? Seems like a sad occasion."

"Well, no, not really. I didn't know him very much," Siesta confessed with a little laugh, "but he was a good person. When we were children, he would tell us these wondrous stories about another world that he came from. Of course, I never believed he was from another world. It just seemed like a way to catch our interest!"

My back immediately straightened, and my energy came back very suddenly. Siesta didn't seem to notice though. Her grandfather was from another world?

"They really were interesting stories!" Siesta continued reminiscently, oblivious to my sudden sharpened attention. "He would tell us about a very huge city that was as big as Halkeginia itself! It was filled with houses that reached the heavens, machines that could move faster than horses, and more people than Tristein, Albion and Germania combined! He even had something we call the Dragon's Raiment, but it was still very interesting!"

Huge city… skyscrapers… cars… thousands of people… a Dragon's Raiment…?

"Although, when he told us his stories, they were all set in a one place… I believe it was… To…umm…Toky—"

"Tokyo Japan?" I burst out suddenly, causing Siesta to drop her suitcase in alarm.

"Y—yes, But how did you know?" replied Siesta, surprised.

Realizing what I had just said, I turned my gaze to the floor. I haven't told her I am from another world yet…

"…Siesta, there's something I need to tell you…"

And so, I told her. That I'm not from this world, how Louise summoned me, what I thought of my previous life… As I spoke, I noticed that Siesta was by no means surprised. In fact, it was almost as if it confirmed her suspicions.

"So you aren't from this world? I always thought it was strange. Your clothing, the way you present yourself, your way of thinking…"

"Well, you know. I thought it would be kind of strange for you to know… I figured you wouldn't believe me so…"

"Well, whether you are from this world or not, it doesn't change who you are!", she said, smiling. I found myself smiling back at her.

"No, I guess it doesn't. Oh, Siesta," I suddenly remembered, "before you leave, I wanted to ask you about the Dragon's Raiment you mentioned. Why is it called that?"

"The Dragon's Raiment? It is called that because it is what my great grandfather used to fly from the other world! We still have it. It's actually stored away in my village, Tarbes! Many people tend not to go near it, but my family has the map."

"Would you mind if I went to see it?" Dragon's Raiment, eh? I wondered if it was a plane or helicopter or something.

"Eh?" Siesta exclaimed, surprised, "Well, no I wouldn't, but I would have to take the key in secret. My father and mother never really believed his stories, and always dismissed it as "rubbish." But still, I think I can do it. I want to see it myself anyway!"

"Alright, then!" It was settled. "When do we leave? I have to tell Louise."

"Eh? Is Miss Vallière coming too?"

"Yeah, if that's not a problem with you, is it?"

"Oh, uh…no…" Siesta looked oddly disappointed for a moment before she smiled again. "Uh…we leave tomorrow. I still have a few things to prepare…"

"Need any help with any of that?" I offered as she started to pick up her fallen suitcase.

"No, no, it's alright," she said quickly. "I'll see you and Miss Vallière tomorrow then."

"Alright…see you later." I waved my goodbye to her as I set off back for Louise's room.

The next day, Siesta and I prepared the horses, all the while ignoring the flood of demands from Louise, who just sat there imperiously. Once the horses were prepared, I sighed.

"Well then, I guess were set to go—"

"Hold it," a loud voice interrupted me from behind. I turned around to see – guess who? – Kirche, Tabitha, and Guiche. How the hell do these guys always manage to show up?

"Oh, hey," I greeted them.

"What are you doing here?" Louise demanded, glaring at Kirche in particular. "Shouldn't you three be in class?"

"Look who's talking," Kirche retorted with an insolent flip of her hair. "We decided not to go today because we heard a suspicious couple started talking about a legendary dragon yesterday. It sounds _ever _so much interesting than being in that stuffy classroom, and I felt like a break, anyways."

"Just what kind of lousy attendance does this school have?" I muttered to myself.

"I, too, am interested in this dragon! If I were to slay it, perhaps I could finally convince Montmorency to think better of me!" added Guiche, posing with another rose. Where does he get those…? Tabitha, of course, said nothing.

"Whatever. If you want to come, then come. I'm not gonna stop you," I sighed. "Looks like we'll have to get a carriage now, though. Dammit…c'mon Siesta -"

"Michael," Louise interrupted, giving me a stern look.

"What now?" I sighed. Can't we just leave already?

"If there is any trouble on the way, no fighting!" She ordered strictly.

"What? I can't do that! You expect me to just sit while we're raided by some guys I could probably take out?"

Louise proceeded to kick me in the stomach – well, try anyways, as I easily avoided her attack. She stumbled forward, flailing her arms to regain her balance. Sighing, I caught her before she fell flat on her face.

"See? I'm fine. I told you not to—!" I started, but was cut off as Louise sucker punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, clutching at my mid-riff. Ow, that actually kinda hurt!

"H-hey, that wasn't fair!" I complained, and then felt myself being promptly crushed by Kirche in a tight embrace.

"Oh, darling, are you alright? Did that mean Zero hurt you?" Kirche paused in her crooning to glare at Louise, who had turned red with anger. "I'll deal with you later. For now… how about I make you feel better, darling?"

"You shut up and leave him alone!" Louise screamed at Kirche, swatting at her like some oversized fly. "And you, you boast about how strong you are, and yet you couldn't avoid that? You're still tired from training aren't you? As your master, I order you not to fight!"

"Ugh, fine, fine!" I grunted, freeing myself from Kirche's clutches. "Whatever, I won't fight! Are you happy now?"

With a triumphant smirk, Louise then proceeded to tell Siesta to prepare more horses. God, that girl can be really annoying sometimes…

Later that day we reached Tarbes. It was only about half an hour away by horse actually. Siesta, not wanting to waste any time told us to wait as she went to grab the map leading to the dragon's raiment. In the meantime, we waited at the base of the mountain, where we had a view of all of Tarbes.

It was a rather small village. Standing at the base of a large mountain, Tarbes was surrounded by lush trees and many healthy growing gardens. In the middle of the village was a church of a sort, which was surrounded by stone houses of various shapes and sizes. Huge fields were in between the small houses.

_Wow, this is Tarbes huh? Seems very peaceful._

"So this is what a commoner's village is like?" Kirche commented, looking at her surroundings with a mixture of interest and superiority. "How quaint."

"Commoners live a very simple life, don't they?" Guiche said somewhat contemptuously. "Wow, Michael, you sure must be glad to be able to live with Louise."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Well, until you got summoned as Zero's familiar, you were just some commoner," Guiche said, ignoring Louise's indignation at the use of her unwelcome nickname. "I really should give you more allowances, considering the poor life you must have had before you became a familiar."

"Yeah right," I scoffed, rather amused at Guiche's assuming.

"Eh? You mean you didn't come from a little village like this?" Kirche asked.

"I didn't live in anything like this," I said, smiling a bit at the contrast. "From where I come from, in some ways, the commoners lived better than nobles here do."

Kirche and Guiche stared at me like I had just announced that people on Earth all had three heads (Tabitha really didn't seem to care). I found Louise also looking at me in a strange way. Now that I think about it, I haven't told her anything about what Earth is like. I wonder if it would be as strange to her as this world was to me at first.

"Really…even if you did come from a village, you don't have to lie," said Guiche.

"Never mind," I sighed. I guess they wouldn't believe me no matter what I said. At that moment, Siesta showed up, looking slightly out of breath, but beaming with excitement.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, everyone… I had to sneak this out of the shed, and then run all the way here," Siesta panted. I walked to her side, giving her a bit of support.

"Ah, thank you, Michael…"

Louise glared daggers at me, but I just ignored her.

"Alright, it's about time! Let's get this treasure hunt started!" said Kirche eagerly. Tabitha nodded wordlessly.

"Yes, let us go find this treasure! Not only will Montmorency think better of me for finding the treasure, I, Guiche Gramont shall be the one to protect you all!" Guiche announced as he struck one of his endless dumb poses.

"You sure you won't just run away again?" snorted Louise. I could almost see him wilting at her derision.

"O—Of course not! Why would I? Ha—Ha ha…"

"Dragon's Raiment, eh? Careful, partner, things might get dangerous," said Delfringer.

"No need to tell me. Anyway, let's get a move on. The cave looks rather dark though…" I said, peering inside.

"Leave it to me, darling. Flame, light please!" Kirche ordered her familiar. Flame then produced a steady, controlled fireball from his mouth, lighting our path. We then proceeded inside. Our footsteps echoed unusually loud in the dark cavern, but no one said a thing. It would have been as cold as it was dark, but the warmth emitting from Flame kept us all comfortable. We kept walking and walking but there seemed to be no end to the tunnel. Not even a speck of light could be seen beyond our light source.

"How much longer will this go for…", groaned Kirche. Things were clearly not as exciting as she thought they'd be. I had to agree with her there. Besides, I didn't even know how long we've been walking, but it seemed like an eternity…

"I'm sorry, I don't know," Siesta apologized. "Even the villagers do not come here. They say it is close to an Orc's nest."

"Ugh… tell us these things earlier…" sighed Louise.

"If it is a mere Orc, then it shall not be able to stand against—", Guiche started, but Tabitha clamped his mouth shut. We were all instantly silent.

"Someone is here," mumbled Tabitha. Even in the cavern, her voice seemed as loud as a gong, and she was damn quiet.

"Flame," Kirche called. The fireball suddenly shrunk to a tiny flame. It looked like a single tiny candle bobbing in the air, giving us just enough light to see each other.

"W—what do you mean?" asked Siesta nervously.

"Someone aside from us, that's for sure…," I replied, drawing out Delfringer as quietly as I could. Siesta clutched my sleeve as I peered into the darkness with no avail. It's too dark; I can't see a thing!

Everyone listened closely, but it was there, the echo of footsteps behind us.

"Who's there?" I called out, taking the initiative."

The footsteps stopped, followed by a voice. "Who are you?" A male voice called out. It sounded strangely familiar, but right now I wasn't willing to take any chances. Before any of us could do anything, a streak of fire suddenly flared, nearly blinding us from the brightness. It struck the ceiling, collapsing a large chunk of it, forcing us to scramble backwards.

"That was just a warning! If you fear for your life, be gone from here! You vile beings who seek this legendary dragon… I will not allow it!"

"Wait, that voice is-!", I started.

"Colbert sensei?" We all said in unison. A loud "eh?" followed, and I'll be damned, Colbert stepped out of the shadows.

"Huh? You guys? What are you doing here?" Colbert asked, looking at us in astonishment.

"W—we came here looking for the Dragon Raiment.", I stammered when no one else did.

"The Dragon's Raiment? You mean they are no real dragons?" he replied, confused.

"No, sir. It is called the Dragon's Raiment, a memento of my great grandfather…", said Siesta, looking at Colbert timidly.

"Oh, is that so?" Colbert said, sounding disappointed.

Siesta then showed the map to Colbert, and explained our situation.

"This is…? Then this means your bloodline originates from another world? Oh, for such priceless research data to be so close to me… Thank the founder!", said Colbert, who was jumping up and down in excitement like a child.

"It's just folklore, there's no telling whether it's true or not," Siesta said.

"All the same, it's a fascinating idea. Well then, let us be on our way!" said Colbert, walking ahead, blazing the trail ahead with a huge suspended fireball that illuminated the cave. We all followed behind and soon, we saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

"Finally, the exit…!" Guiche sighed in relief. Looks like somebody was more scared than he was letting on...

"Wow!" Louise exclaimed as we found ourselves in a huge grove. It was filled with countless trees. Up above there was a gap, revealing the bright blue sky, Rays of sunlight poured into the grove, giving me a tingling feeling of warmth and safety. This must be what Link feels whenever he reaches the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove. So…the Dragon's Raiment is here?

"It's beautiful…", awed Kirche.

"It's magnificent… to think such a place would be here!" mused Colbert.

"Very fitting for the location of a treasure," said Guiche, equally surprised.

We proceeded down the pathway, Colbert as leader. With map in hand, he guided us to the spot where the Raiment was being held.

"So where is the treasure anyway?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"According to the map, it should be around here…," said Colbert, looking around. I took a quick glance around the area, looking for anything out of place. I have played Metal Gear Solid 3 billions of times, and if my guess is right, wherever the dragon's raiment is, is probably covered with moss and trees to blend its surroundings.

"There it is!", I called out to the others. They all turned, and peered to where I was pointing out. It was hard to see, it was there. A great big shed.

"Excellent!" Guiche exclaimed. "Let us go-"

"Not so fast," Colbert cautioned. "You don't know whether it's as safe as it seems. There might be traps set to protect the Dragon's Raiment."

"Ah…t-that's right…"

We all approached the shed. Colbert and Tabitha scanned the area for traps and stated that the coast was clear. I took this chance to get a closer look at the shed. Strangely enough, it looked oddly similar to fighter plane hangars used during the second world war… why is that?

_He would tell us these wondrous stories about another world! _Siesta's words echoed in my mind.

No… It can't be….

"Look," murmured Tabitha, pointing right. I turned, and saw a monument. Well, I wouldn't call it a monument, but it sure looked like one…

Walking up to it, I removed the moss, only to be surprised by what I found: Japanese letters.

"What's this?" said Del. Louise walking up behind me, looked at the characters and frowned.

"What does it say? I don't recognize these characters…" Louise pondered.

"Eh, that's writing? I thought it was just a bunch of drawings…" Guiche said.

I placed my hands on the aged stone, frowning in concentration.

"Ka… kei…? Okay I can't read that… The next one is… shouei… Sasaki Takeo…", I said out loud.

"What? You mean you can read this? What does it mean?" exclaimed Louise. I stood, scratching my head.

"It's a language where I come from. I studied it with a friend. I can't read the letters exactly because the stone is rather old, but I recognize these characters. I don't know what the first character says, but Shouei means ensign, and Sasaki Takeo must be his name."

"Ensign…?"

"It's a military rank. But if that's what it says, then… this is his grave…"

Whatever came after that was drowned out by my thoughts. Japanese letters? Another world? Doesn't that mean Siesta is the descendant of a man from Japan? Then the Dragon's Raiment must be…

"Wow, this is amazing!" exclaimed Colbert. The others expressed similar thoughts. I turned, and realized we had entered the shed. I sprinted inside, and gazed at the so-called Dragon's Raiment.

Low wing cantilever monoplane layout. Wide set retractable landing wheels. An enclosed cockpit. Two 7.7 mm machine guns. A large, red circle on both the wings and the sides.

It was undeniably the Japanese zero fighter used in the second world war.

"What the hell… you're kidding right…? A fighter plane?" I gasped. This confirmed everything. Siesta's grandfather really was from Japan!

"Wow!" Guiche stammered, freezing in shock at the sight of the Dragon's Raiment – that is, the fighter plane – as he saw it. "Is that truly the body of a dragon? It must have been a fierce creature…"

"This is the Dragon's Raiment…?" said Siesta in awe. "Grandpa's stories…they were true after all…" I looked at her face, studying her features. Black hair, black eyes, Asian-like eyelids… everything started coming together.

"Hmph… so this is the Dragon's Raiment… No wonder he sent me to look for it… Damned old man…", came a voice as cold as ice. A voice I recognized all too well. We all turned, and I withdrew Delfringer.

"Y-you again?", cried Guiche, jumping behind Tabitha and Kirche.

"Dorian", I scowled. He looked my way, and grinned.

"So this guy is Dorian? You're going to pay for hurting my darling!", said Kirche, taking out her wand. Tabitha did the same, but Dorian paid no heed to them.

"I see a new clarity in your eyes, Gandalf. You accepted your darkness?"

When I didn't reply, he turned to the others.

"Oh my, it seems we have more guests with us today. And quite a few indeed,", he laughed. It was a cold laugh, sending a chill down my spine. It took almost everything I had to stay in place.

"So, you are Dorian?", said Colbert, stepping forward.

"Ah, you must be Colbert. I've heard many things about you from my master, Fire Snake."

Colbert flinched at Fire Snake. What does that mean? Was that Colbert's secondary name? Sounds pretty badass for someone like Professor Colbert…

"Why are you here? Just what is Astor planning?" he asked, trying to ignore what he heard. I decided not to think about it; we had more important matters to deal with.

"Well, to be honest, I only came here to see if the so called "Dragon's Raiment" my master has heard about is true. But I've got some time to kill… Why don't we play a little, Gandalf?" said Dorian, gesturing for me to come. I clenched my teeth in anger, ready to jump at him. Before I could, I felt someone grab my arm.

"Michael, you promised! You promised me you wouldn't fight!" cried Louise. She had that look in her eyes, the same one I saw when I fought with Wardes for the first time.

"Oh? What's this? Stopped by the lovely damsel? It seems you've been spending more time in her bed than training. Honestly, how could you fall for a woman like her? And you, why would a noble such as yourself, even begin to love someone as weak as him?" Dorian teased.

"What?", I yelled out. How did he know Louise and I were together?

"W-what's this?" Guiche said, completely distracted. "YOU and LOUISE? Have you no shame, Michael?"

"Shut up, Guiche, now is not the time!" I roared, turning towards him.

Making that one mistake will be the one that I will regret for the rest of my life.

"You're right… it's not.", came Dorian's voice from beside me. When did he—!

"LOOK OUT!"

There was no warning. A sudden flash of steel blinded my vision, and a powerful force shoved me aside.

Everything was cast into slow motion. The sound of metal piercing skin, the falling body, the panicked look of my friends, the ever-growing grin on Dorian's face. Only by looking at the body was I able to realize what had just happened.

_You said you would protect me… but you yelled at me, you left me…_

"No… _NO!"_

…_You let me die._

"_LOUISE!" _I immediately rolled to my feet, and lashed out at Dorian. He merely smiled, simultaneously back flipping out of the shed and blocking my attack. I relentlessly chased, throwing a flurry of slashes faster than my body could carry, letting anger fuel my hatred for him. He replied with a smile of mockery.

"Louise! _Louise!_"

"Calm yourself, Miss Zerbst! We can still save her!"

I heard the screaming as though from a distance, but barely took notice of it.

_He hurt Louise… she protected me… stopped me from getting hurt, just like her… I couldn't protect her, even after everything!_

"Are you prepared to meet your fate?" he asked.

I charged, Delfringer in hand. Dorian backed away, throwing daggers at my feet. I jumped into the air to avoid them, and came down with an overhead slash that shook the whole forest. The dark magic within me welled up, feeding off of my agony. He wouldn't get away with this. I wanted to destroy him, rip apart every limb and joint I could possibly find… but I couldn't. Physical strength alone wasn't enough to take him down. I wasn't at that level yet. Our last fight proved that.

I had to use my magic.

"Del," I growled, gripping his hilt more tightly.

"Partner, be careful. Thing's may get dangerous from here on out," advised Delfringer.

"Way to point out the obvious." Either way, I didn't give a damn, as long as I could tear this guy's guts out.

I dashed forward, attempting to jab Delfringer's hilt into Dorian's stomach. Backing away, he lifted his sword above his head, and brought it down with a mighty swing. Sidestepping to my right, I used the force of my dodge to attack again, swinging Del like a bat. In one fluid motion, Dorian ended his swing, pivoted, and used the momentum of his swing, elegantly twisting his sword to parry my attack. I stumbled forward and felt Dorian slam his hilt into my spine. I slammed into the ground face first, but pushed myself sideways as I hit the ground, bouncing like a ball. I scrambled to my feet, trying to block his next attack, but a loud explosion suddenly rent the air.

"Michael, are you okay?" cried Kirche, her wand smoking from the fireball she had just cast.

"Louise…" I croaked.

"Don't worry – she's not alone. That Guiche is being useful for once in his life. The most we can do for now is make sure this psycho doesn't go after her to finish the job," Kirche said, her eyes intent for any signs of Dorian, who had disappeared from sight in the wake of the cloud of dust that the impact of the fireball had produced.

"Hmph, it seems I've underestimated your friends. They have potential, much more than you." Dorian's voice said. He walked calmly back into sight, leisurely brushing off his clothes.

Tabitha then stepped forward, shooting a tornado. Kirche followed, and chanting a spell, they unleashed a whirlwind of fire unlike anything I've ever seen before. I hoped Guiche, Colbert and Louise were a safe distance away; if this thing got out of control, it could burn us all to a crisp.

Dorian responded in kind, unleashing a wave of fire which matched their own. The two spells struggled to overpower each other, kind of like those beam struggles in Dragon ball Z. Wait, why am I thinking about that? He's wide open!

"Got you!"

"Go get him, darling!" cheered Kirche. "We'll keep him busy from this end!" With another chant, Kirche and Tabitha increased the intensity of the fire storm, sending it flying forward.

Dorian, who sensed my approach quickly shot his signature spell, temporarily stalling the tornado. He jumped towards me. I raised Del, ready to block his next attack but he grabbed my arm, and then _threw _me at the oncoming spell.

"What the hell? Oh you've got to be kidding!" I screamed, bracing myself futilely, but the tornado of fire flickered, then blew itself out of existence as Tabitha caught me in the air with a quick levitation.

It was only then I realized Dorian was beside them.

"Kirche, Tabitha!" I cried out as Dorian knocked out Kirche in one hit. Tabitha, quicker to react, launched me towards him, and backed away, chanting a spell to quickly lift Kirche's unconscious body out of harm's way.

Dammit, just how fast is this guy? If only I could keep him still, but he was just too fast on the ground. On the ground…an idea born of desperation came to me.

It was worth a shot. I thrust Delfringer forward as I was launched at him by Tabitha's spell, forcing him to jump to the side just as I had hoped.

As he moved to the side, I charged up my magic. Dorian was fast, but he can't move in mid air!

"Take this! Blazing fang!" As we were both about to hit the ground, I unleashed the spell, which roared into existence into a huge burst of purple flame. The force of my spell sent us both flying in opposite directions, and caused me to change direction before I hit the ground. My energy was suddenly sapped away, leaving almost no energy for me to recover as fast as I could have. I looked up with blurred vision.

What I saw next was no more surprising to me than the next guy.

A sudden gust of wind blew away the dust clouds I had created, revealing a dome of fire. Holy crap, was that the fire shield that Colbert told me about?

"It seems I have underestimated you… to think that you would learn magic? I knew that damn old man wasn't telling me something…", he said, as the fire shield dissipated.

"Dammit, this is too one sided! Even after my magic he still hasn't been fazed!", I yelled out. Dorian then lifted his sword, and slashed the air.

"Hitobei!", he cried out. The same spell I couldn't dodge before rushed towards me, but I was ready this time; neither was I alone. Tabitha lifted her staff, chanting quickly, and a shield of ice appeared in front of us. Dorian's spell hit the shield with an explosive bang, covering us in smoke. I then turned to Tabitha.

"Tabitha, I want you to go help Louise."

She looked at me, concerned.

"Look, I don't know what you're thinking, and I can't say that I've known for a long time. But what I do know is that you are the only one here who can use water magic. Please, I'm begging you…"

Tabitha didn't reply, but merely looked at the ground. For a second I thought she wasn't going to reply.

"Be careful," she muttered, and sprinted towards the shed.

_Thanks, Tabitha…now, to take care of this guy_.

"I don't have all day Gandalf, just how long do you plan on hiding?" called out Dorian. I jumped into the air in response, and charged my magic.

"Blazing fang!" I cried out. I felt my energy drain again. Dorian replied with his own spell. Our spells clashed in the air, setting off another explosion. . Taking advantage of it, I landed, and dashed into the smoke, trying to cover as much distance as possible.

A shadow from my left caused me to duck. The smoke was suddenly clear. I looked to my left and saw Dorian, sword held high. I parried the upcoming slash, and decided to make things a little more personal.

Dorian lifted his sword to attack again, but instead of parrying I dodged. Spinning my body around his sword, I back kicked, aiming for his chest. Dorian changed the direction of my kick by slapping my ankle with his palm, causing me to stumble. Not giving up, I bent forward, swayed to the left, and shot my right heel forward. Just before it hit, I snapped it right, attempting to hook kick his head. He ducked, and like a frog, pounced, thrusting his knee forward. I spun to my right, narrowly avoiding his knee, and threw out a reverse hook kick. Dorian stepped back to avoid it. Spinning even faster, I jumped into the air and crescent kicked as hard as I could, aiming for his head. My foot whipped his arms as he blocked, causing me to fumble as I landed, regaining my stance.

"Getting better. I'm even willing to say I underestimated your abilities. Is that Taekwondo you're using? Not bad," he commented, not even sounding excited.

"What do you want me to do?" I shouted. "Give you a handshake? How about I throw a beer in there too?"

"Your pathetic jesting won't work on me, boy."

I swung Delfringer, and he parried it. Dorian swung his sword, and I parried it. Then we entered into a fiery dance of sparks and clanging metal. An endless frenzy of striking and parrying raged across the clearing we stood in. I don't know how long it was until we were suddenly forced apart by yet another explosion coming from the other side of the field.

"Louise! What do you think you're doing?" I cried out to her, who was being held up by Tabitha with Colbert close behind. The wound on her stomach was patched up, but her breathing was ragged, and she was clearly still struggling. It hurt just to look at her.

"I...ordered you…not to fight…" she panted. Just talking was hurting her.

"Don't do this! I can handle it, don't—," I started, but was cut off yet again. Dorian dashed forward, and tried to grab Louise.

"Damn you!" I cursed, running forward, but Colbert, quick to react, shot a fireball. Dorian jumped over it, and was knocked away by a gust of wind form Tabitha. Colbert shot another fire spell, and Tabitha, her mouth forming words faster than I would have thought possible, created icicles, which flew at Dorian like heat-seeking missiles. Dorian dodged them all, but I could see him starting to struggle as their combined spells homed in on him. It was then Dorian jumped on top of the dragon's raiment, stopping their spells entirely.

"Dorian, I don't know what it is that you are trying to accomplish," Colbert said in a level voice, "But please: spare my students. I will fight you."

"Colbert, don't be ridiculous. I didn't come here for you. I'm only here because of him," Dorian replied, pointing at me. I clenched my hands in anger.

"Why do you keep fighting me? Just what is it that you want?" I yelled. He merely grinned.

"You will come to know the truth soon enough. But now…"

It happened too fast. There was a wave of heat and the next thing I knew, Tabitha, Colbert and I were all lying on the ground, stunned.

"Louise," I muttered instantly, forcing myself up.

Where was Louise?

"The girl is now mine," he smiled, holding Louise in a choke hold. Louise, due to her wound, could barely struggle against Dorian's vice grip.

"LOUISE!", I yelled, giving chase. But I froze as Dorian put a knife to her throat.

"You…" I said, barely able to speak.

"What will you do now that I have her, Gandalf? You've already used your spell twice, and I can tell you're getting tired."

"Damn it, Dorian, leave her out of this!" I shouted.

"Using underhanded tactics, you truly are Astor's apprentice", said Colbert, getting up, holding his staff at the ready.

"Don't move, Fire Snake. I have the girl in my hands, and if you so much as take a step, I spill her blood. I am here for him. Now stay out of my way."

Colbert, unable to do anything, unwillingly stepped back. I clenched my teeth in anger. What do I do?

As Colbert stepped back, Dorian swiftly stabbed Louise's wound. Her scream pierced me, a wordless plea for help. I wanted to. I wanted to charge in and slash his head off, and save her just as I did when I fought Wardes.

But I couldn't. I was too weak.

"Damn it Dorian, what the fuck do you think you're doing?", I roared. He simply looked at me as if I was an idiot.

"I told him that if he moved I would hurt her. Why are you so angry at me? Shouldn't you be angry at him? But that doesn't matter. Her life is in my hands now. You still have time to save her, you know. But can you do it? To save her, you're going to have to attack me, risking her life. Can you do it?"

Clenching my fist, I thought about what to do next. Could I do it? Could I attack him now, risking Louise's life?

What am I supposed to do?

Why can't I do anything?

"…God dammit… I can't do it…", I mumbled. I fell on my knees in defeat, my gaze cast on the floor.

"…Is that so? Well then, I'm disappointed in you, Gandalf…"

I turned my gaze towards him, just in time to see him forcefully pull his knife to the side, ripping Louise's stomach open. Her high scream broke off highway into ragged gasps of agony.

"No… **_NO, LOUISE_**!"

I charged forward, slashing at Dorian who was now free handed. He parried it easily.

"This again… blindly charging in. You have power, but you lack the means to control it!". At his last three words, he struck three blows that partially found their mark. The first hit grazed my shoulder. It would have cut the tendon if I didn't duck at the touch of his blade. The second was diagonally across my chest. The third barely missed by right eye, cutting the eyelid and turning everything red with blood. I backed away, trying to wipe away the blood but was too slow.

With a final stab, he jabbed his sword into my gut.

"Urk..,!"

"Without control, power is meaningless. Without power, you can't even protect yourself."

"Damn bastard…"

"Now, it ends here…!", he started, but I cut him off. Desperate, I stabbed the hidden blade into his wrist, and held him in place with all my might.

"…Gotcha."

His eyes widened as I called out to the black magic within me. Ignoring the pain, I lifted up Delfringer as the power rose, higher and higher. I fed it all of my anger, all of my despair, all of my agony. Delfringer shone with obsidian light, and a black flame engulfed the blade. I was going to kill him, here and now!

"I'm going to make you pay for hurting Louise! _**BLAZING FANG**!"_

"Partner, STOP!", called out Delfringer, but I ignored him. Bringing Delfringer down, I unleashed the cataclysm of energy, destroying everything around me. Pain followed, as my right arm took all the strain of using more magic than I was supposed to. For one moment I felt fine, feeling a vicious triumph.

The next thing I knew everything was spinning. I felt weightless, and crashed into something hard, jerking to a stop.

It was then the pain came. My right arm burned, as if someone just took a white hot gauntlet and put it on me as a means of torture. It was a thousand times worse than when Kirche burned my leg, or when I was hit by that lightning cloud.

I clenched my teeth, almost as a form of refuge against it. Stabbing Delfringer into the ground, I stood up. I could hear him speaking to me, but all the words sounded muffled. It was like someone had just closed off my ear drums with headphones.

I felt something brush my arm. Reacting instantly at its touch, I brought up the hidden blade. Colbert stood before me, trying to calm me down or something. I didn't know. My mind was a mess.

I looked away from Colbert, and set my eyes on the man I wanted to kill. He was finally wounded. Now was my chance to kill him. To make him pay for what he has done. My arm tingled as I approached him, hating him, despising him. Before I could get within range, I felt someone grab my left arm. I turned.

"Michael! Calm down!" Colbert's words finally reached me. I glared at him in return.

"Let go."

"I know you're angry for what he did. I know that you think he deserves what you are going to do. He probably does. But Louise needs you right now."

The anger within me suddenly died, and thoughts of Louise filled my head. Was she okay? I looked back at Dorian, who was now struggling to leave. Should I kill him? Should I make him pay for what he did? Would Louise be happy if I did?

Knowing the answer, I turned away. I was still angry that I couldn't finish him off, but there were more important things to do right now.

Turning towards the shed, I struggled to get to my feet, then suddenly felt pressure close around my burning right arm.

"ARRGGHHH!" I screamed, knocking the hand around my arm off, collapsing back onto the ground. I curled up on the floor, tears pouring onto my face as I gasped brokenly. I would've clutched onto my arm from the pain if I wasn't sure that if I so much as touched it, I would end up screaming again.

"Michael, are you alright?" I heard Colbert cry. "I forgot about your arm – I'm sorry!" I felt his hand grasp my left arm more gently, and pull it over his shoulder, gingerly hoisting me to my feet.

"Are you alright? Michael?" Colbert asked me, his face lined with worry. Still reeling from the pain, I managed to nod.

"Thank you."

"Come on; she's waiting for you."

I nodded, too drained to say anything. Turning away from Dorian, we made our way towards the shed, hoping Louise would be alright.

Okay, that's the end of this chapter. Sorry guys if it took so long. Anyway hope you enjoyed, review, you know the drill.


	23. The Perv, The Proud, & The Combat Butler

Change my Destiny 23

Hey guys, here's the next chapter of Change my Destiny! Not much to say other than I have been really busy with work lately (English, History, Photography) But don't worry, I'm almost finished season one! As soon as season 2 comes around updates will be much, much quicker as I'm going to be basically following the Anime. However, they may be some big changes throughout, such as those filler episodes and stuff. I can't make any promises, but I can tell you that much.

Anyway, on with the fanfic

...

The La Vallière family, among the greatest noble houses of Tristein, had held its lands in the north-east for many centuries. The La Vallière family had lived within the manor for as long as they had been nobles, and upheld the barrier against Germanian threat. Site of many battles, the manor was no stranger to bloodshed and warfare, but never, perhaps, had it witnessed a battle quite like the one that was raging in its courtyard.

Standing close to the back wall of the manor was a young earth mage, flanked by three Valkyries, all of his summoning like the seventeen others spread throughout the courtyard, all advancing towards the center of the courtyard where their target stood: another young man, this one gripping a sword, his eyes narrowed and his mouth mashed into a harsh line in concentration.

Two of the Valkyries advanced, spears aloft. The swordsman ducked down low under the thrust of the first, directing the spear tip so that it struck the breastplate of yet another Valkyrie, this one behind him. With two deft swings of the sword, he cut off the disarmed Valkyrie's arm, and then stabbed it in the chest. With a small grunt, he lifted the impaled body and hurled it at its companions behind him. Another tried to slash him from behind, but before it could even swing its sword he jabbed his foot into its stomach. As it stumbled, the swordsman stabbed his sword into its chest, lifted his foot, and kicked the dead Valkyrie off his blade. He bent over the corpse, stabbed its back once more as if to make sure it was dead, and then tore its head off ruthlessly.

The mage brandished a rose – his wand – and another three Valkyries surrounded the swordsman. He spun like a top, bashing each of them with the severed Valkyrie head. They fell around him as he skidded to a stop. He turned, ready to attack the next group of Valkyries behind him. The metal warriors, however, abruptly came to a stop. The swordsman froze, then turned to glare at the mage, who had lowered his wand and was now leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"What the hell Guiche?" He asked, breathing hard between every other word. "Come on, attack!"

"You know Michael, if you're too tired to go, you can just say so. After all, you're just a commoner – it's no big deal for a magician like me to win."

In answer, Michael lifted the severed head and threw it at one of the Valkyries in the immobile group behind him. There was a loud ringing noise like a gong being hit, and Guiche noted the sizable dent that the impact had caused.

"As you wish", Guiche said with a smirk of his own. The Valkyries resumed their advance, swifter than before and closing threateningly in on Michael. He picked up his sword again, gripping it tightly and aimed.

"Shou, Balle, Sol, Fira," He chanted, then pointed his sword straight forward. A bullet of fire then shot from the tip of his blade directly at the advancing squad and an explosion of smoke and dust. There was a din of metal clangs as the charred warriors fell to the ground, leaving only ten Valkyries standing.

"So I'm not imagining it," Guiche muttered too himself, much too low for Michael to here. Ever since Michael fought with Dorian at the Dragon Raiment shrine, Kirche noticed that the color of his fire changed... from what he was told, originally it was purple.

Now it was black.

A Valkyrie attacked from behind, probably hoping to catch him in the confusion. On reaction Michael ducked, kicking his feet back like a horse, balancing on his hands. As it doubled over, he quickly jabbed Delfringer through its head. He jerked his sword to the side, ripping its head off.

The next three Valkyrie's were smarter to act. Instead of rushing in mindlessly, they attacked him in formation, one after the other in order to leave to room for counter. Michael backed away wordlessly, clenching his teeth in what seemed to be annoyance. He kept moving back, until he stopped at the wall. The other three Valkyrie's moved beside their comrades, completely trapping him.

Michael grinned. It was an evil grin, filled with murderous intent. Involuntarily, Guiche flinched.

"What's with that look", Guiche whimpered to himself as his skin broke out into goosebumps. "It doesn't even look like Michael…it's like…it's like Dorian is taking over his mind."

Michael turned, and then, to Guiche's astonishment, he was running up the wall. On his fourth step he back flipped off the wall, decapitating two Valkyries on his way down. He gracefully cut down the remaining Valkyries.

Panting heavily, he sheathed Delfringer. He didn't say a word, nor did he look anywhere else except the corpse ridden ground. Guiche silently disabled his magic, and the shards of broken armor melted into the ground.

"Hmph, your fighting has improved. I must admit though, I have never seen a fighting style like yours. It's even harder to believe that a commoner can use magic… You are truly blessed," said Osfrid, walking towards them from the sidelines, where he had been watching them the entire half an hour the fight had taken, and every other fight that they had undertaken the last two weeks. One of the instructors in the Vallière manor, he was a giant of a man, standing six foot with short brown hair and battle hardened eyes. His muscles were so large it was almost unnatural. His square, tan skinned face was covered in scars from constant battle. A Zweihander was draped over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Michael replied mechanically. His eyes were glued to the ground.

"In any case, boy, you can fight how you want. Everyone has his or her own style, but really - yours has too many unnecessary movements. You're merely acting fancy. It's too exaggerated. If it were anyone else from around here, they could have cut you down mid flight."

"What do you want me to do?" Michael replied, standing up.

"Well, your technique needs work. Your attacks are sloppy. You need to make them more concise. Instead of dismembering them, then killing them" - Guiche flinched as Osfrid suddenly slammed the blade of his Zweihander into the ground for emphasis - "kill them. If trained soldiers surround you, they won't stand there and watch you cut down their allies. Your reflexes are outstanding for your age, and your stamina has greatly improved over the last two weeks, as well as your left arm but there is always room for improvement. Do not ever think that you cannot progress. There is always something you can refine, no matter what. Got it boy?"

"I understand."

"Hmph. Well, if you continue to work hard, I don't see any problems" Osfrid said with an air of satisfaction as he sheathed his sword. "Now, the next problem is the magic..."

"What? Why?"

Osfrid snorted once as though in amusement at Michael's ignorance. "Look around you boy. Have you not seen the nobles that walk this continent? They think they are gods in the flesh. They think that just because they are blessed with this "magic" that they can do anything. They are merely deluding themselves. Of course," he continued, ignoring Guiche's slightly offended look, "there are proficient magi, but there are also those who use it for their own personal benefit. Let me give you one piece of advice boy; do not rely on your magic. It will merely blind you from the truth. I have seen and slain many nobles because of their arrogance, and I will not let my student fall the same path. If you do, I will kill you myself."

Michael didn't say anything, but nodded in confirmation.

"Very well then. We are done."

Osfrid walked away, leaving Michael and Guiche alone.

"Well that's over with", Guiche sighed. "Summoning twenty Valkyries is really exhausting, ugh! I don't know about you, but personally I'm -"

"I'm going to go see Louise," Michael interrupted him. "You coming?"

Guiche was about to reply, but before he could, Michael walked away.

…...

I walked down the hallway silently, gently balancing the pot of flowers with my left hand. Personally, I never thought that learning to fight with one hand would be so easy. It was difficult at first, but two weeks of constant training for about three hours a day greatly improved my strength and stamina. I feel a little less hindered with this damn cast on my arm.

I reached my destination, but found myself in a bit of a problem at the door, with both hands full. I lifted my foot to open the door by gently kicking it open, but before I could, it opened.

"Ah! Michael, you scared me!" cried Siesta, her hand still on the doorknob. She was carrying a pile of bed sheets.

"Ah, sorry. I didn't know the door was open. Is the water mage there?" I asked politely, putting my foot down.

"Yes, I am right here. Please, come inside," said the water mage.

"I have to get going. I need to wash these sheets," said Siesta.

"Alright. Bye."

She didn't move though, and instead looked at me closely, long enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"No, nothing. Take care!" She replied, dashing off. What was that about?

Well, whatever. I shrugged then entered the room, and placed the vase of flowers on the counter. I looked at Louise, who was sleeping soundly on the bed. The doctor, some water mage that her parents had hired, was examining some test tubes, the tip of his wand alight.

"How is she?"

"Well, as of right now, her body isn't suffering from a fever anymore. We managed to calm it down, but her body is still poisoned…"

"What kind of poison is it?"

"I wish I knew. I've never seen anything like it before. It's very complicated, and I'm having trouble extracting it for a cure. However, it doesn't seem to be life threatening…"

"When do you think she will wake up?" I said, clenching my fist in anger.

"I'm sorry but I can't say for certain."

There was another long silence. The only noise was the sound of rattling test tubes and beakers.

"Well, my work here is done for today. I'll take my leave." When I didn't reply, he sighed and left the room without another word, leaving Louise and I alone. It was so silent I could hear Louise's light breathing.

"Hey Louise, how have you been?"

Of course I wasn't expecting a reply, but the mage doctor person said talking to her would apparently help her mentally, kinda like people in comas and what not. Well she was in a semi sort of coma state. I couldn't remember the details. What I do remember is that while she's asleep she could still hear things around her, although never for certain if or when she was. Still, as long as she gets better...

"Things have been pretty rough around lately. I've been training a lot. Yeah, yeah, I know how you feel about my 'obsession with getting stronger'. Still, I'll tell you about it, so you can scold me about it when you're up again. Colbert even started to teach me some basic magic and Osfrid taught me fighting techniques. It's really interesting. And check this out; Guiche is actually being useful for once in his life. I never would have thought that fighting his Valkyrie's would be such a good work out. Honestly, when I'm training I don't know whether or not I'll make it through. I've been keeping it consistent, three hours a day."

I laughed, staring at Louise's face. It was so calm, so blank.

So lifeless.

I bent over, and held her hand. It was ice cold. I felt my heart sink.

"Louise... you can hear me right?" I whispered. I wanted her to wake up. I wanted this to be like those cliché moments in Manga where the sleeping character will wake up after the main character cries at their side. But life wasn't a Manga. Life was much crueler than that. The door suddenly opened.

"What do you think you're doing?" A sharp voice snapped. Reflexively, I let go of Louise's hand as I turned to see two women walk into the room.

"Tch, sneaking into a noble woman's bedroom while she sleeps. Know your place."

"Eleanor, please. He's just fulfilling his duty as a familiar."

Oh, that's right. I forgot to mention that we are staying in Louise's manor. That's how I met Louise's two sisters, Eleanor and Cattleya. Eleanor stood tall and proud, her unusually long blonde hair finely combed. She was dressed in the usual garb, her white frilled shirt with a long purple skirt followed by her purple scarf. Does she ever wear anything else? Although, I do remember hearing from one of the servants that the scarf she wears is from a noble who was supposed to marry her, but broke off the marriage. I don't blame whoever the mystery fiancée is – Eleanor can be one hell of a bitch at times, and all the time with me. It's hard to believe that she's related to Cattleya, more simply dressed in a long sleeved, cream-colored frilled turtleneck blouse and a white skirt. I couldn't help but notice the tightness of her chest in her blouse yet again – I'm not trying to be perverted on purpose, it really is that big! Seriously what the hell, why is her chest so big compared to Louise or Eleanor?

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly. Eleanor's presence made my mood sink even more. I didn't need to be lectured by her of all people.

"What was that? It seems that this worm has yet to learn its place..." growled Eleanor, eyes narrowed.

"Eleanor, let's not be rude, he only came to see Louise." said Cattleya soothingly but even Cattleya's gentleness couldn't keep my own temper from rising.

"If there's one who hasn't learned its place, it's the one who estimate's people by their looks and status," I retorted, rising out of my seat.

"What was that?" replied Eleanor, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses.

"You heard me. You've never seen me fight before. You've never seen what I can do. Don't you dare think that just because I'm a commoner I can't do anything!"

"I don't assume, I _know_. You can't do anything. You call yourself Louise's familiar, you say you are strong and yet look at the sorry state my sister is in because of you!"

That hit the mark. My vigor and determination suddenly died, crushed by the wave of shamed chagrin that washed over me, casting my gaze to the floor. She was right. I am strong, but it wasn't enough...

"Eleanor!" Cattleya started, but I cut her off.

"It's true that I wasn't able to protect Louise... My strength wasn't enough even after everything..." I paused, taking a deep breath to collect my thoughts. I took a step forward, meeting Eleanor's cold stare straight in the eye. "But even though I wasn't able to protect her this time, it won't happen again. I won't let it happen."

"What makes you think that you will be able to protect her next time?"

"I will protect her, and I'll prove it to you."

"Prove it to me? I don't need to waste my time with a commoner. I have more important duties to attend to."

"Oh? So you're going to run away? Where will you go Eleanor? To the man who abandoned your marriage?" To be honest, I really didn't want to say that. However, the circumstances were so thin that I couldn't take any chances. I needed her to listen.

Eleanor's face blanched, and she froze as though I had just slapped her. "How did you—where did you hear that?"

"Trust me when I say I hear many things about many people from others."

Eleanor was quiet for a single moment. She was so quiet that I almost thought she wouldn't reply. I opened my mouth to speak, but I stepped back at a sudden burst of killer intent.

"For you to speak to me in such a manner, it seems you have yet to learn your place!" roared Eleanor. "You dare talk to me this way? You don't seem to know how Tristein – how the world works! You think your little flames privilege you, but you are still a commoner! You think you can compare yourself to me? I will show you exactly what happens to the idiot who thinks he can surpass his born rank!" Any trace of her silent moment was gone, as if it never happened. Her face was bright red, and her words came out of her mouth in short bursts. In fact, it reminded me of Louise. That's probably why I don't even feel remotely threatened right now… but I will admit… her killer intent is much fiercer…

Now I think I know where Louise got her habits.

"Oh I'll show you how my flames burn!" I retorted, placing my grip on Del. Eleanor pulled out her wand, ready to reprimand me, but Cattleya stood in her way.

"Cattleya, as your elder sister, I command you to move!"

"Eleanor, I know you are angry but please, let's hear him out. Don't you think he deserves that much?" Cattleya pleaded. Eleanor's anger died slightly, and she regained her posture.

"Fine. Speak quickly," she replied unwillingly, giving me a look filled with hatred.

"Alright then. I'll make this simple. You don't have to do anything but bring your strongest fighter. It could be whoever you want it to be. It could be you for all I care. Bring them to the training ground in four hours, and I will fight them. If I win, you will accept me as Louise's familiar, and stop acting like such an asinine jerk around me."

Cattleya gasped a little at my language, but surprisingly Eleanor smirked.

"I'm sorry but I don't know if I can bring myself to being an all-round jerk."

"I'm sure you can. Even I've got a decent side, even though you probably wouldn't think so. And anybody related to Cattleya's got to have a nice side, however deep it is."

She actually laughed at that. "Interesting. But what do I get if I win, commoner?"

"Not that I will, but if I lose, I'll admit that you were right. I'll even do whatever you say, and become your slave if you want. Do we have a deal?""

Eleanor was silent for a long time. The moments ticked away, and Eleanor's expression showed she was really thinking about it. By the time she was finished, I knew her answer.

"Very well. Show me your best, commoner. But you better prove that your bite is as strong as your bark, otherwise I'll personally see to it that your life is made a living hell."

…...

"Boy oh boy, you sure know how to get yourself into trouble Mike. Are you ready?" said Delfringer as I strapped him to my waist. I decided a few good hours sleep would keep me sharp. I gotta say, I haven't had such a good sleep in ages.

"Well, telling me that won't change anything now, will it? I haven't seen Eleanor since, so I'm pretty sure she's trying to whip up something. In any case, all I can do is just fight like I always have."

"Partner, I've been used by many Gandalf's. I can't exactly remember how many, but I'm pretty sure I've never met someone as daring as you, diving head first into trouble and such."

Should I be happy or offended? I opened my mouth to reply, but someone knocked on the door. I sighed, wondering who would bother coming. It was probably Eleanor. I got up and opened the door, surprised to see who it was.

"Would you mind if I came in?" said Cattleya.

"Err… Uhh… Sure?" I replied meekly, unsure of what to say. She walked in bewitchingly, my eyes glued to the generous curves of her waist and hips. If it were anywhere else I would have asked, "Where are the trumpets and the red carpet?" Compared to Louise or Eleanor, Cattleya had a mature, graceful air around her. Plus, she had a great body. I'm surprised she isn't married yet.

"I'm sorry for intruding last minute. I wished to speak with you earlier, but you were busy training with Sir Osfrid today, were you not?"

"Well, if you wanted to speak to me, you could have asked. I wouldn't have minded really." I scratched the back of my head, forcing my eyes on her face. It took everything I had not to look down. God dammit, not even Kirche was this seducing! If Louise became like her I swear… I don't know what I would do. Cattleya smiled.

"I'm sure Louise will become even more charming than me when she gets older."

I recoiled at her sudden comment. Holy crap, did she just read my mind? I felt my face growing hot. God, this was awkward.

"But you know, even though Eleanor may be harsh and intimidating, she only does so because she cares for Louise. When she heard of her condition, she was in terrible shock. She deeply cares for Louise, but finds it difficult to express her feelings properly." Her words did seem fairly true.

_You say you are strong and yet look at the sorry state my sister is in because of you! _

It had grated against me at the time, but I had to consider it from Eleanor's perspective too. This _was _her little sister. All the same -

"Yes, that's true but what of it? What does that have to do with me?"

"Eleanor and I love Louise very much. I'm sure the only reason she is uncomfortable with you being so close to Louise is that it will hamper her status as a noble. Please do not be offended."

"Kind of hard if you ask me, but I will do my best."

Cattleya smiled, and cupped my face in her hands. The sudden motion caught me off guard, but I held my composure.

"I pray Louise will have a bright future with you." With that she kissed my forehead.

…...

"Well then, are you ready?" I asked Eleanor. She nodded, eyes closed.

We stood in the middle of the training ground, where we would have our little contest. Lucky for me, since I'm now familiar with this area. Plus there are no obstacles to get in the way. A group of servants dressed in suits stood on my right in a single file line, with Cattleya and Louise's mother between them. I didn't see Osfrid, and Guiche wasn't coming.

"Eleanor, please. Won't you reconsider? We do not have time to waste on this commoner."

"Mother, I understand how you feel, but this boy needs to learn his place. I want all of you to witness his defeat." She smirked at me. I yawned as loud as I could, but she took no heed to it.

"You will be fighting my servant, Thomas."

One of the servants stepped forward from the line. His hair was long dark brown, reaching to his shoulders. His piercing green eyes were similar to Eleanor, but not as fierce.

"You're kidding right?" I couldn't help laughing. "You're gonna fight me in a suit? That's hilarious! How do you do that? Aren't you hot, especially in this weather?"

Thomas clenched his teeth. "This suit was given me by her honor, Mistress Eleanor! I will not-"

"Thomas, please control yourself. Don't let his words play with your emotions." said Eleanor, cutting him off. Thomas sighed, regained his composure and stood straight.

"Yes my Lady.

Thomas proceeded to choose a rapier from a collection brought by the other servants. A Rapier? I don't think I've fought against one before... I gotta be careful. That thing is fast as hell. Since I have Del, my powers should make things even, if not to my advantage.

After choosing a Stiletto, Thomas took a standard fencing stance. I withdrew Delfringer, and held him in reverse grip. He gave me a questioning look, but kept his guard. He was probably wondering what I was planning.

"You insult my mistress, mock me in front of her ladyship, and now you plan on fighting with such a poor stance? Who do you think-"

"Stop lecturing me and show me what you got!" I said cutting Thomas off. I gesturing him forward, and his expression hardened. He stepped in and thrust his rapier.

Something wasn't right. This wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting his Rapier to be like lightning. Instead, it moved really slow. So slow in fact that he almost hit me. I stumbled backwards. Taking advantage of my surprise, Thomas stepped in and proceeded to throw a rapid series of consecutive thrusts, aimed all over my body.

It happened again. As I dodged, each of Thomas' attacks moved in a consecutive, slow speed. Why? Isn't it supposed to be faster than this? I don't even need to use Delfringer in this fight. I could see each and every one of his attacks as if I were watching a slide show.

It was then I realized. He wasn't slow, I was just stronger than him. Fighting Wardes, Dorian, and even Wardes' clone, they were all stronger than him. They were all faster than him, faster than me.

And I beat them all.

Thomas stepped in again, and I dodged, back flipping away to create some distance.

"Why are you running away? Have you no pride?" mocked Thomas. I shook my head.

"What is this...This is no fun at all!"

Everyone gave me a questioning look. I scratched my head, sheathing Delfringer.

"You want to run away? You coward!" cried Thomas. I shook my head.

"Oh I'm not running away. You're just too slow. I can see through each and every one of your attacks. It was so slow that it caught me off guard the first time. That's why I was surprised."

"What?"

"I don't even need my sword for such an easy fight. I could beat you with my bare hands." I sighed. I proceeded to remove Delfringer. Gently putting him aside, I cracked my knuckles, then took my fighting stance.

"Are you sure you're willing to do this? If it is as you say, then wouldn't it be better to use your sword?" asked Eleanor's mother. I was taken off guard as she looked directly at me, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. She was actually talking to me!

"Please, Mother, I'm sure he is only bluffing. Continue the fight!" commanded Eleanor. Thomas nodded.

Then he stepped forward. He thrust his rapier. I dodged, getting used to the speed. I didn't have my powers, so things were slightly faster. Just the way I like it. Adrenaline pumped in my veins. Thomas attacked again, and I easily dodged, moving in for a counter.

"You're too slow!" I yelled, kicking him hard in the gut. My foot moved like a snake, swiftly and gracefully striking, then retracting. I kicked him harder than I expected. Thomas doubled over as my kick knocked him into the air. I guess all my training with Del strengthened my natural state somewhat. Oh well, his loss.

Thomas bent over, gasping hard for breath. I snapped my knee up, hitting his face. My attack made him stand upright, and I proceeded to tornado kick him to the ground, hitting the side of his neck. Thomas twirled to the ground like a rag doll, unable to move. He gasped for air as he tried to suppress the pain.

"Get up."

Thomas, taking in my words, stood with all his might. From his injuries, he probably only had a few more hits left in him. Its funny though, looking at him now, it reminds me of how I was when I fought Wardes. Losing to Wardes also left an impression of him on me. I wanted to beat him. Now the tables turned, I was on the winning side. Shouldn't I feel happy?

He finally stood back up, barely holding to his consciousness. Now would be a good time for the counter elbow assault. The least I could do is end this now.

I wonder if this is how Wardes felt when we fought?

Thomas thrust his rapier. I sidestepped, avoiding his blade by a few centimeters. I felt the force of his attack pass me by, and I swung my elbow forward. Thomas' entire body came to an abrupt halt, as the entire force of his attack backfired on him.

Unable to continue, Thomas was thrown backwards. I saw his lips move, probably asking Eleanor for forgiveness. The world seemed to stop as Thomas crashed into the ground, silent and unmoving. He really did remind me of myself, how I used to be.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of a galloping horse broke the silence. Automatically, everybody's heads turned towards it, looking for the rider.

I turned, seeing Guiche, pushing the horse as fast as he could. Where had he been?

"Something terrible has happened! I heard about it in town!" said Guiche, climbing down from his horse.

"What happened?" said Eleanor's mother. I inclined, listening to the hassle.

"Its Albion... Albion has renamed itself Reconquista, and declared war on Tristein!

…...

Finally! Sorry this took forever. I was caught up in various projects for class, and the end of the year is coming so I'm studying like crazy for my final exams. Read, Review, you know the drill.


	24. The Awakening

Change my Destiny 24 The Awakening

Hey guys! Here's the final chapter for season 1! Hurrah! Also, for those who don't know for season 2 it will pretty much be the same as the Anime with some minor changes to fit with my storyline. Also, Season 3 will be a complete rehash. I made it all from scratch. I don't know about you guys, but I personally hated season 3, and spent a lot of time working on it, which is why I haven't updated much along with school.

Also, I would like to make mention that any foreign terms that are not in English will be translated at the bottom of the story and will have a star next to them. This is just for those who don't know what the term is, and need a reference/are too lazy to Google it. I will be using this from now on.

Anyway, enough of that. On with the story!

Damn it all, how could this happen? A freaking war now of all times?! I thought this to myself as Guiche and I followed the other servants of the Vallière manor.

As soon as Guiche had informed us about Albion, everyone at the Vallière manor went into a huge scramble. Louise's mom ordered the servants to prepare for war, and she wants Guiche and I back to the academy to inform the principal. Now that's fine and dandy, but why are her servants coming? Well, I guess it makes sense since they're part of the military, but still...

The few servants Louise's mother ordered to escort us guided Guiche and I from the training grounds through the manor in a full sprint. As we ran by I could see the other maids and butlers quickly helping the other servants for preparations. Some gathered weapons, others gathered flags, and I think I saw one getting armour.

"Michael, slow down please!" Guiche heaved as he slowed down behind me. I grabbed his wrist, and pulled him into another sprint.

"Damn it Guiche, this is no time to slow down. Just hurry up and move!" I yelled. Guiche sighed, and followed closely behind. We reached the front courtyard of the manor, and there I saw a carriage being prepared for us. Well, at least these servants can move as fast as their master's mouths...

"Mistress Valliere has ordered us to take you two back to the Academy. Please, hurry inside so we can leave immediately." said one of the two servants. As we approached the carriage, the servant opened the carriage for Guiche, who stepped inside. The other servant went to the front of the carriage to prepare the horses. I took a step forward, only to be stopped by a voice.

"Michael." called out Eleanor from behind me. Surprised, I turned to see her standing there, all proud and noble like. Even after losing to me, she hasn't had a change of heart? Well, I'm not that surprised, more of annoyed really.

"Make it snappy, we have to go soon." I said, turning back to her. I saw her brow angle slightly in anger, but she took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. I waited impatiently.

"It seems that our battle has been interrupted. I will let you go for today, but after this war is over we will settle our score." she mumbled. I cleared my throat, ushering her to hurry up. Her eyes flickered in annoyance, and she growled.

"I will admit that this time things didn't go my way, but next time I will make sure to give you more of a challenge." Eleanor admitted unwillingly. I grinned, satisfied.

"Well, if you put it that way, I wouldn't mind fighting one of your servants again. It'll be a good workout."

Eleanor opened her mouth to reply, but a servant came from behind her, and whispered something into her ear. Eleanor nodded, and ushered him away.

"It seems that my mother has summoned me. For now I bid you farewell familiar." With that she headed towards the mansion, and turned to walk in the carriage, when I remembered something important.

"Eleanor! I called out, turning around. She looked back curiously, wondering what I had to say.

"Take care of Louise for me will you?"

She was startled at first, but quickly regained her composure. She nodded, and we headed our separate ways.

An hour or so later, Guiche and I reached Old Osmond's office, and I hammered the door. When no once answered, I hammered it again. It opened, and to my surprise, Colbert, Henrietta and a female swordsman were here along with Osmond.

"Michael? Guiche? What's wrong, what are you two doing here? If you don't mind, I am discussing the something important with the Princess, so I'm afraid-" started Osmond. Not wanting to waste time, I cut him off.

"We have a situation with Albion." I said. Immediately, everyone in the room became alert, and Osmond nodded, letting Guiche and I inside. I entered his office, I examined the swordsman. She stood tall and battle ready. I could sense from her a sort of cautious aura, her hand close to her sword. Her messy blonde hair reached up to her shoulders in a bob cut and her sharp dark brown eyes curiously examined me. Her clothes were strange for a swordsman. First of all, her armour wasn't even armour. She wore a combat designed leather dress, dyed a dark green. Under it I could see she had a black jumpsuit of a sort with silver lining around the edges. She had shoulder padding with a cape that oddly enough looked like Piccolo's from Dragon Ball Z, only this one was made of metal, and probably wasn't as heavy. Her cape had an insignia, probably meaning she was a servant of some family. Most likely Henrietta's.

Osmond closed the door, and sat at his desk, listening intently. Guiche informed them of the news of Albion. I could feel the tension rise in the air as Guiche spoke nervously about what he heard.

"What should we do your highness?" the female swordsman asked Henrietta, who was deep in thought.

"We will head back soon. I will stay here with Osmond and make arrangements for the students. Agnes, I want you to get everything ready and wait for me outside. If anything happens, come inform me immediately." said Henrietta. Her eyes flickered towards me, almost as if she was telling me something. I raised my brow at this, but nodded anyway.

"Yes my lady." With a short nod, she left the room. Guiche stared at me, wondering what we should do. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Michael. If it's alright, could I speak with you in private for a moment?" Henrietta called out after a moment's hesitation. Everyone else turned, confused at why.

"If it is what the princess wishes, then I will oblige. Guiche, help me gather the students." said Colbert, walking out the door with Guiche in tow. He moaned, but went anyway, giving me a jealous look as he left. Osmond excused himself after, leaving Henrietta and I all alone. It was kind of awkward, being alone with a beautiful princess whose probably in distress because her best friend was in a coma. After a long silence, I scratched my head.

Well, it doesn't seem like she's gonna say anything anytime soon, so I might as well try something...

"What is it you want to talk about princess?" I asked in the silence. Henrietta said nothing. Well, so much for that. I let her think as the minutes ticked by. She stared out the window, but I noticed her eyes were not focusing on the scenery. In fact, it was almost as if she was just pretending to, as if to test my patience or something. Her facial expression then changed, showing she was deep in thought.

"How is Louise?" Henrietta asked finally, after what seemed like an hour. She turned towards me, her face longing for answers.

"Well, as of right now, she's alright. Her body isn't poisoned anymore, and we managed to get her back into good health. The only problem now is the coma…" I replied, scratching my head. Henrietta sighed at this.

"It's all my fault… First I leave Louise in the hands of a traitor, and now this… I'm a horrible friend. I can't do anything for her, no matter how hard I try…" Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. I walked to her side, placing my hand around her shoulders. I took no heed to her gasp as I placed her head on my shoulder, and stared out the window.

"It's not your fault Henrietta. While it's true that Wardes was a traitor, there was no denying that he fooled all of us. No one could have guessed that he was a traitor. If anything, it's my fault that Louise got hurt. I used to think I was strong, but recently I have begun to wonder. Every time I fight, someone always gets hurt. Louise nearly died because I wasn't strong enough. I nearly died because I'm not strong enough. I hate it. I hate being weak. If I'm weak then how am I supposed to protect those I care about?"

Henrietta was silent again, but I felt her head lean more against my shoulder.

"You sound just like him…" she whispered. Somehow, I knew she was talking about Wales.

"Wales was a great man. Strong, kind and diligent. I'm glad that I knew him but... once again because of my weakness, Wales died, and you suffered the consequences." I let go of Henrietta, and kneeled. "For that, I humbly beg for your forgiveness princess."

Henrietta's clothes rustled, and I looked up. Her face, which was extremely close for some reason, shined with tears, but she smiled none the less. I don't know what happened then, but for some reason, Henrietta looked extremely cute. Things I didn't see before I became suddenly aware of. Her snowy white skin was perfect, not one blemish on it, unlike mine with was full of scars. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed that our faces were so close. She held my hands.

"There is nothing to forgive, for I never held it against you. I'm sure Wales was prepared. So please don't worry about it Michael." Even though her face was covered with tears, for some reason it made her shine a little more brightly. Why am I suddenly attracted to her? Cursed male genetics…

"Thank you." I replied, standing. I looked down, realizing we were still holding each others hands. We let go immediately, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that… I was just… It was kind of like a…" I stuttered, my face growing hot. I tried to find something to say, but Henrietta laughed. It was an innocent, gentle laugh. I smiled.

"Thank you Michael. I am truly grateful for this. I won't let this service go unrewarded."

"There's no need for a reward really. I'm not concerned about it. Talking with such a cute princess is already good enough for me." I said.

Henrietta blushed, and realizing what I said, I mentally slapped myself. My face grew hot, and I looked away. I'm already with Louise! Why the hell am I so...

"You really love Louise don't you?" Henrietta sighed. I looked back at her. She smiled painfully. I opened my mouth to reply, but she stopped me.

"It's alright. You can go." she said, still smiling. But she couldn't fool me. She was hurt by what she and I did.

"...Alright." Henrietta turned her back, her shoulders shaking ever so slightly. I contemplated on whether or not I should apologize, but decided not to. Anything more would just make things worse. I walked out of the room silently, and cursed at myself for being such a shit.

Later outside, Agnes and I stood by the School entrance, waiting for Henrietta. I was bored and had nothing else to do, so I stayed with Agnes, who patrolled occasionally. Bored, I took out Delfringer, unleashed his scarf, and started swinging him around. I haven't used this in a long time, so I guess now would be some good practice time. Gracefully swinging him around my body like a nunchaku, I danced through the open space. It was tough though, doing it with one hand. I was forced to swing in linear patterns.

After a few minutes of practice, Agnes came back from another patrol round.

"I've never seen something like that before. Where did you get that idea? Agnes asked, watching my movements. I pulled Delfringer back to me, and attempted to wrap his scarf back around with much difficulty. Seeing my disability, Agnes quickly came to my side, and wrapped the scarf for me.

In any case, I couldn't tell her I saw it in an Anime, so I had to make up something quick.

"Well, I've always had trouble against long ranged fighters. Archers, Magi and the like. So I thought what would be a good way to extend my range? I ended up making this. So far, it has served me well." I said. Agnes handed Delfringer back, and I nodded thankfully, putting him in his sheath.

"That has some flaws though. What will you do if someone cuts the cloth? While I will admit it is interesting, it's too risky to use in an actual fight. Any potent mage could stop your sword and take it from you. You would be defenceless." She questioned, looking at me like an idiot. I returned the look.

"So? I'll just fight with my hands then."

"Your hands?" she replied, not expecting that answer.

"Well, yeah. The one who taught me to fight told me this: The base for everything in this world is your body. If you cannot master your body, you won't have the strength to match your weapons." In truth, I learned this from a video game, but I can't really tell her that now can I?

"Interesting. What was his name?" Agnes replied, her eyes shining with interest. Oh man, this wasn't going the way I had hoped...

"F-Funny thing is, he never told me his name. I just called him master. We met on a whim really. I was training alone in the forest when he came across me while looking for herbs. He taught me a lot of things from then on. He taught me how to fight with my legs, my hands, and showed me various foot techniques. How to move around, keep balance, and all that. He also ingrained in me his four absolute rules." I paused to catch my breath. Well, its not like making this kind of stuff up on the spot is easy. Well, I did learn how to fight and all that, but the whole training in the forest thing was BS. When she didn't reply, I continued.

"The first rule, practice every day without neglect. In order to keep strong, you have to keep training. Training also helps me create new ideas such as my scarf."

"Well, that is certainly an obvious rule. If you don't train every day for anything, you won't get anywhere in life. But excuse me, please continue." Laughed Agnes. I nodded in agreement.

"The second rule was no matter the situation, keep calm and make calm decisions. Following your emotions can lead you to make the wrong decision, and only end up hurting yourself."

A sudden shift of movement caught my attention. I faced Agnes, who was now shuffling uncomfortably. Her expression showed was deep in thought. I felt a tinge of anger come from her. However, the anger wasn't directed at me.

"What's wrong? Is that all?" she asked me. I couldn't sense the anger I felt before. I shrugged it off. Must have been my imagination.

"Yeah, sorry. Anyway, the third rule was do not use moves thoughtlessly. Each attack can determine whether or not you will survive. Using a move for the sake of using it will get you killed. Once again, keep calm in order to decide which move will keep you at the advantage. By practising every day, you can perform the said moves properly without messing up. The final rule he was really strict about. Act without hesitation, and do what is right. That once is obvious. For the most part, that's all that he taught me. The rest was just gruelling exercises and tutoring." Wrapping up my half made up story, I sat down on the grass. Standing was good and all, but at the moment I really didn't feel like standing.

"He was very wise." Agnes said, sitting beside me. Her armour rustled in the silent air, and she adjusted her sword on her belt to make herself comfortable.

"Yes, its a shame he died. Age got to him before he could teach me anything else." That one was made up too. I didn't want her to go looking for my nameless teacher, which is actually a video game!

"I'm sorry." Agnes said hastily. I shook my head, shrugging the comment off.

"It's alright. As long as I keep his teachings, his death won't be for nothing. After all, he chose to teach me out of all the people in the world. I'm glad that I met him."

With nothing else to talk about, Agnes remained silent, and I stared at the Clouds. Damn, why are we just sitting here? Isn't there a war about to take place? Shouldn't we be preparing? I tossed and turned, wondering about what would happen next.

I wonder when I'll get to see Louise again...

"You seem restless." Said Agnes, breaking the silence. I sat up, scratching my head.

"Well yeah. You think that with a war about to start we would be doing something and yet here we are." I sighed. I was about to lie down, but the sound of something cutting through the air made me automatically jump out on my feet, Delfringer out.

"Hey, what's your freaking problem?!" I yelled at Agnes. In her hands were two wooden swords. She tossed one at me, and I caught it out of the air. Wait a second, when did she have those swords?

"Well that was unexpected. Your movements are a lot quicker than I thought they would be. You master did teach you well." Agnes said, amused. She took a Kendo stance, and it came to me.

"You want to test me?"

"Well, it's not like we're doing anything else. I might as well see what you can do. Don't hold back just because I'm a woman."

I put Delfringer aside, and Agnes did the same with her blade. After taking our places, I took a defensive stance. Since I didn't know what Agnes was capable of yet, the best thing to do for now was to wait it off. Let her make the first move, then make my way from there. Since I don't have my powers, this is going to be a lot harder…

After a momentary stare down, Agnes dashed at me with blinding speed. She swung her sword upwards, her blade full of killer intent. Normally, if I had Delfringer I would have reacted on the spot. But since I was using a wooden sword, I was only able to barely lift my sword before she broke through my attempted block.

Agnes, not giving me a chance to recover, went on an full onslaught of slashes. Her blade struck like a leopard, fast and strong. Each time I blocked an attack, two more would take its place. I struggled to stand up as she battered me towards the ground. Each blow made me sink closer to the floor as I struggled. With a mighty overhead swing, Agnes finally broke my guard and sent me tumbling to the ground. She lifted her sword to stab, but as I hit the ground I rolled backwards to recover from my fall.

Still keeping strong, Agnes rushed forward. Blocking another blow from Agnes, I decided to put a little rush of my own. Agnes swung her sword again, but instead of blocking with my sword I lifted up my entire arm and used the arm guard of the hidden blade to block her strike. This caused the opening I needed. Agnes was temporarily surprised, allowing me to give her a swift, but light kick to her knee. I didn't need to break her leg. She stumbled, supporting herself on her good leg. I danced behind her, striking her shoulder, her right thigh and her back. I lifted my sword to slash again, but as Agnes lifted to block I slashed downward and kicked with my right leg at the same time. She managed to block my attack, but my kick knocked the wind out of her, and I lifted my sword at her throat.

Panting heavily, Agnes and I stood back up. She laughed.

"Those were some truly interesting techniques. I never would have guessed you could attack like that with such amazing power. Would you mind teaching me some time?"

"Er… I could, but I'm not a master yet. The most I could do is just teach you the basics, and then you can make the style into something you like."

"That would be much appreciated. Thank you for the sparring session." I opened my mouth to reply, but footsteps came from behind me. I turned, and saw Colbert and Henrietta. I gave Agnes back her wooden sword, and picked up Delfringer.

"Michael, I'm glad I found you. I need you to come with me to my office." Said Colbert, short of breath. I nodded, turning towards Henrietta, but she looked away. Well, looks like I need to patch things up later with her...

"Alright, but what do you need me to do?" I asked. Agnes walked to Henrietta's side, giving her a questioning look. She smiled, assuring her everything was fine. Agnes nodded, and Colbert continued.

"Osmond wants you to use the Dragon's Raiment."

"You know how to use it?" She said, surprised. Agnes looked like she didn't know what was going on, but kept silent.

"Yes, I can use it, but what for?" I replied, startled. Thinking about it now, I don't think I ever told her about my Gandalf powers... After a short moment, Henrietta nodded.

"I've just been informed that Tarbes was taken by Reconquista's forces. I will lead the army and take Tarbes back. Your help would be greatly appreciated." said Henrietta, her face grave. What?! Siesta is still at her village! I hope she is alright...

"Alright. I will help. You two should go now, you're needed there more than here. I will meet you as soon as I can."

With that, Agnes and Henrietta left, and I headed to Colbert's office. When we reached his office, I pulled out the Zero fighter out of a make shift cabin. Normally, Colbert would have helped me, but he went to get the dragon's blood. We found out when we came back from our expedition at the dragon's shrine that it was actually gasoline, and he spent all night making enough for a full tank.

"I'm sorry for the trouble Michael. Will this be enough?" Asked Colbert, who brought six tankards worth of gas.

"That should be more than enough. I'll figure out how to work it, you put the gas in." I said, wiping the sweat off my face. Damn, this thing was heavy! Well, it is a plane after all... I moved to the left side of the cockpit, and placed my hand on the Zero fighter.

After touching Zero and activating my powers, a sudden flow of information overwhelmed me. Before I knew it, I knew where practically every function was. Using this, I directed Colbert into refilling the gas tank. Wasn't that hard, it was the same as a car only there were two tanks. After using up the fifth tankard, I stopped Colbert.

"That should be enough. We'll save this last tank for future reference."

"Very well, then I shall go inform Old Osmond that you are ready. Will you need help flying this... Zero fighter you called it?"

"No, its alright. With my Gandalf powers, thing should go fairly smooth. If anything, I'll need help fighting against Albion's army..."

"Well, if you say so. Good luck Michael, and please be careful!" shouted Colbert as he ran towards the school entrance. I jumped into the cockpit, and first checked the fuel selector valve. It was probably because of my Gandalf powers, but I knew that if this was on, I could take gas from both fuel tanks and not just one, extending my flight time. After turning the valve, I double checked if all the electronic equipment was off. I didn't need the plane system overloading on me during start up. Next I tested the rudder brakes, making sure that they were smooth and didn't lock. After that I turned the oil mix valve to max, so that the most fuel from both tanks was guaranteed. Next up I checked if the carburetor rear heat was cold, pushing inwards the valve. With all the checkups done, I finally pulled out the primer valve and pushed it back. This helped atomize fuel directly into the engine cylinders, and was to help get the engine started.

I locked the valve, and put the ignition key into the slot. I placed my feet on the brakes, and started the engine. The plane roared to life, and the wheel spun slowly, slowly, slowly getting faster. It actually started! I flipped the electrical switch, sending low voltage power to the entire plane. I then flipped the electrical switch, sending low voltage power to the entire plane.

"Alright, lets go!" I said, and lifted off towards Tarbes.

By the time I reached Tarbes, the poor village was covered in smoke. Down below I could see the houses below were destroyed by cannons coming from two ships flying nearby. Tristein's army was on horses, being overwhelmed by red fire breathing dragons. I clenched my teeth. So this was how they wanted to play huh?

"They're all over the place!" yelled Delfringer over the roar of the engine. I turned Zero towards the two ships, and dived. The entire plane shook violently and I felt my entire body freeze up as the pressure of the air suddenly increased with my dive. As I got closer, I noticed the cannons suddenly shifted their aim towards me. They fired, but I spun in a 720, avoiding their shots with ease. I aimed the nose of Zero to the front of the closest ship, pulled the trigger for the machine guns, and jerked the plane right. Streaks of bullets pierced the deck, forcing the ship to plummet to the ground. I sent another rainstorm of bullets as the ship crashed, allowing Tristein's forces to move and invade the ship. The other ship sent their dragon squad after me. Please, with only seven dragons, they would be lucky to even leave a scratch on Zero!

After quickly dispatching the dragon squad with a series of barrel rolls and burst shots from my machine guns, I looked down below. I could see the enemy ship being taken over by Tristein's army. Tabitha and Kirche were flying at a lower altitude, firing a barrage from above. Looks like we're winning!

Suddenly, an explosion from below caught my attention. An all too familiar rock golem rose against Tristein's forces. So Fouquet was working with them? A flash of white came into my peripheral vision, and Zero suddenly shook, taking a blow. I turned, seeing Wardes fly on a grey dragon.

"Careful partner, this could get dangerous. That's a wind dragon!"

Keeping my eyes locked on Wardes. I turned to shoot him, but he quickly moved out of my field vision. Damn, his dragon is much faster than those red ones! Well, considering how its a wind dragon I shouldn't be surprised. I rolled to the side as Wardes shot another spell at Zero. He may be fast but technology is far superior to dragons!

As Wardes came up from behind me, I pulled the control column, which looked oddly enough like a 1999 PC joystick, and soared through the sky, barrel rolling behind him. Before Wardes could do anything else, I fired my guns, and ripped him and his dragon to shreds.

Well, that was anti climactic. Warhawk, a fighter plane simulator I used to play, seriously over exaggerated things.

I looked down below, and could see Tristein's forces slowly gaining ground over Albion. Even Fouquet was having trouble against Tabitha and Kirche. I couldn't see Guiche, but I didn't really care about him. We won!

"Partner, look out!" Cried Delfringer. I jerked my head to the side, only to see Zero's wing get sliced off. An explosion followed, and was flying towards the ground. Holy crap, what happened?! I pulled the nose of the plane up as high as I could, trying to regain altitude but the damage was too much. I managed to land without smashing face first into the ground, but braced myself as the plane dragged across the plains, destroying anything and everything that came in the way. The glass of the cockpit cracked, and I could hear the metal of the plane being torn as we ran through dirt.

When I finally came to a stop, I realized smoke started to fill the cockpit. I immediately turned off the power and the plane's ignition. I didn't need it to blow up on me. Seriously though, who destroyed my wing? Coughing out the smoke, I opened the cockpit and jumped out.

I walked forward, and as the smoke cleared I saw Dorian standing in the plain where we first met, longsword out. Beside him was a wind dragon. I withdrew Delfringer with extra caution.

"I should have figured it was you. Are you on Albion's side too Dorian?" I called out to him.

"Albion? Please, they are only pawns sent forth by my master. I do not concern myself with such trash. They are weak, just like you."

"Your words won't do much Dorian. We have a score to settle, and we're gonna settle it now! I'll make you pay for what you did to Louise!" I snarled.

I dashed at Dorian, eager for first blood. Dorian lifted his sword to counter, but I launched myself forward with a flying kick at his sword hand, stopping his sword slash completely. Dorian's upper body jerked backwards at my kick. He dashed backwards to recover, but I followed him. Our blades clashed, spraying sparks around us. I struck again, aiming higher. He blocked, and I dashed back. Something was different. Usually, Dorian would taunt me and make me angry. But now, he was silent, concentrating on the fight. I took advantage of this, and charged head on.

Dorian also charged, coming in hard and fast before I could attempt to lift Delfringer. It didn't really matter if he hit me, as long as the damage was minimal. Close hits left my flesh tingling and my clothes torn. I dodged each attack as his blade touched my skin, leaving light, shallow cuts. Dorian lifted his sword to attack again, but this time I parried the attack. Dorian stumbled at the sudden change, but as I lifted Delfringer to slash him he rolled away. As he stood up, I chanted as fast as I could without stumbling the words and shot a quick fireball at him. Dorian blocked the black fire, and shot a fireball of his own. I dashed under it, feeling the top of my head singe. I dashed under Dorian again, swinging Delfringer up. To my surprise, Dorian dropped his sword, grabbed my arm, and tripped me down to the ground. The sudden impact shook my whole body, but my anger at him and everything he represented dulled the pain. Dorian lifted his sword to stab me, but I swiftly kicked his ankle, then his stomach.

Dorian staggered back, recovering. I dashed in again, unleashing a flurry of slashes so fast my mind was the only think keeping up. Dorian parried and attacked again, this time holding his sword with both hands. I blocked it, but the impact shook my entire left arm, numbing my senses. He proceeded to kick me in the stomach, but I lifted my knee just in time to block, drop Delfringer and punch. Dorian dropped his sword, parried my punch, and threw a left straight. Soon, we were both caught in a cycle of endless blocking, both of us determined to get the first hit.

The loop couldn't last forever. Eventually, Dorian got the upper hand. With my right arm in a cast and Dorian with both, I couldn't last much longer. I attempted to dodge another one of his attacks, but was too slow and took a clean punch to the face. I landed hard on my back, trying to recover but could not because of weariness. Dorian grabbed the collar or my shirt, pulled me up and swiftly punched me in the stomach. I doubled over, only to fall into Dorian's knee. He pulled me up again, but I was too dizzy to block as he punched me again and again.

_Why is this happening? I thought I had gotten stronger!_

_I learned magic, I trained endlessly, and yet I was beaten so easily?!_

_Power... I want more power..._

After his endless series of punches, I fell on my knees in a daze.

"Partner, are you alright?!" Delfringer cried helplessly from the sidelines. His words barely registered.

"So this is it huh? I tell you to train, go out of my way to help you become stronger and this is what happens? I am sorely disappointed in you. Aren't you supposed to be the Gandalf, the divine familiar?"

His words sunk in. It happened again. I was too powerless to fight against him. He easily overpowered me because I wasn't strong enough. I want to be stronger.

"I'm going to end you. Perhaps with you gone, a more competent Gandalf will come along." Dorian drew his knife, and lifted it high.

"Goodbye Gandalf."

_I want to win..._

Dorian brought down his knife. I stared back into his cold, dark eyes.

_I NEED TO WIN!_

"_**Then I shall grant your wish."**_

Something came over me. I didn't know how or why, but my body moved on its own. I lifted up my right arm, letting Dorian stab the cast instead. A white light followed, blinding both of us. The cast seemed to explode, letting the light shine brighter than before. When my eyes readjusted, I was shocked at what I saw.

My arm had changed. Hell, it wasn't even my own arm. Everything from my elbow onward was covered in a red, demon like skin. The skin itself wasn't even skin, it was more organic than that. It was poorly shaped. It was as if someone took a bunch of flat, jagged rocks and moulded them wherever they felt like on my arm with a glue stick. The large crack between the rocks on my forearm, opened like a V from my elbow up to my wrist in crooked lines. Around it, there were smaller, more jagged cracks. Between the cracks, pale azure light leaked out, as if it was glowing from within. The red skin stopped at my knuckles, and my fingers, minus my thumb which had the organic skin, had the same glow. This tips of my fingers which were once rounded became points, making my hand a claw.

"It can't be... This isn't possible! It chose you?!" roared Dorian in a furious rage. He knew what this was?

Once again, my body moved on its own. My mind was still intact, but my body was being controlled by something else. My fist clenched. Dorian jumped back lifted his dagger, and picked up his sword at the same time, ready to block. I stood up and punched Dorian's dagger with my new arm, shattering it to pieces. I twirled around, and back kicked him in the chest. My kick sent him flying. Holy crap!

I placed my foot down, and walked towards him. Dorian struggled to stand, and I spoke. Yet, it wasn't my voice.

"_**The call has been fulfilled, my host has been chosen. I have awakened once again to fulfil my oath to Brimir." **_I heard two voices at the same time as I spoke. One a low, mature male voice, and a low, elegant female voice._** "It has been 200 years since we last met, Dorian. I see that the elf magic is still strong in you."**_ What?! This person, or whatever it was knew Dorian, whose 200 years old?! Dorian stood.

"Illimité*, it has been too long." said Dorian. What? Illimité? What does that mean? My body moved on its own again, lifting both arms.

"_**I have watched over you pathetic guardians for the past two hundred years. Has my vision been spoiled in you already? How dare you violate your oaths to the man who saved you from death. I will not overlook this."**_

"With that pathetic body of a host? If he cannot even beat me, then he will not last against Master Astor." snarled Dorian. He fought me so I could stand a chance against him?

"_**But you see it in him don't you? He has the potential. I am only speeding up the process."**_

Dorian grunted, unconvinced.

"_**You need not concern yourself with such affairs. The odds are now against you. With my power in addition to the Gandalf, I will be more than a challenge for you."**_

I will be more than a match? This is my body you asshole! I struggled to regain control, but my mind was cut off my a strong barrier of magic. So strong that the closer I came to it, the looser my grip became, forcing me to watch.__Dorian clenched his teeth, probably thinking he was right. He stood straight.

"I will let him go for today. Keep him strong Illimité, and try not to break your host this time."

Dorian snapped his fingers, and a wind Dragon came soaring to his side. He climbed up.

"Before I go, give this to the kid. Tell him its the antidote. He'll know what I'm talking about." He tossed a small bottle. Illimité caught it, and placed it in his... my pocket. With that, Dorian flew away. My mind suddenly lost its grip, and I began to lose consciousness. Damn! Why now?! Not when he's still in control...

As I faded into the darkness, I faintly heard Illimité speak.

"_**Sleep well child. All will be told in time..."**_

Illimité: Unlimited (French)

Da da da daaaa! SEASON ONE IS OFFICIALLY OVER! So many freaking twists that i never thought of including, oh my gawd. Shout outs to Gekkokage who gave me these ideas. Shout outs to my editors for putting up with me and my OP-Ness. Also, Shout outs to Forscythe for heeding my editor request!

Thanks for reading, review, and see you in season two!


	25. RE: Bittersweet Love

Change my Destiny Chapter 25: Bittersweet Love

Hey guys, I just wanted to do a quick update for this chapter. I recently just read the lite novel for this part of the books, and it blew me away. It was so much better than in the anime. So I decided to take in and use it as a source of inspiration. The rest of the chapter has not changed, so for those who read this chapter already, ctrl+F search for " It was finally over. " However, don't do that just yet!

I also wanted to edit this to show you guys I'm still in action. I recently started voice acting, and have been focusing greatly on that. As a result, I probably won't finish season 2 by the end of summer, so instead I will be taking a few months off to actually develop and finish season two. This way I can spread my time evenly between fanfiction, school and voice acting. When all the chapters are completed, I will upload them all at once for your pleasure.

Anyway, if you haven't read this chapter, then don't bother with the first paragraph. Now on with the story!

...

The roar of the crowds below echoed through the open window. The streets bustled with many customers, everyone lively and smiling. Fireworks echoed loudly throughout the valley, children ran through the busy streets. Everything was peaceful, and yet Henrietta could not shake the uneasiness she felt within her.

"Allow me to brief you on the procedures for the coronation ceremony." said Masari, Henrietta's adviser and bishop. The old frail man fixed his gaze on a sheet of paper, and began to read its contents.

"Bishop Masari, I do not desire the title of Majesty!" Henrietta pleaded, interrupting him. She turned to face the bishop, despite the servants who combed her long, violet hair.

"There you go again. Stop being so childish princess. We are at war! Although we prevented the invasion of Albion, we should not drop our guard. You princess, shall be installed as queen of this land and lead our forces against the invaders." said Masari, shaking his head. The princess tried to protest, but Masari held up his hand, not wanting to hear more. Henrietta, unwillingly backed down from the subject.

"How is Michael?" asked Henrietta as she sat back down. The maid servants proceeded to comb her hair again. Masari sighed deeply, wiping his brow with a handkerchief.

"His condition is no different than what it was two days ago. All the mages we have at our disposal all ran checkups on him. All the results have been the same. His body is in perfect shape, yet he continues to sleep. Not only that, but we found out some strange things about his arm..."

"What did you find?" Henrietta asked, curious about it. After successfully subduing Albion's forces, they saw Michael's dragon raiment crash. Henrietta sent her troops to find him, and when they did... they were afraid of him.

"His arm, whatever it is, contains an immense amount of sealed magical energy, which causes the azure glow. Energy surpassing that of a square class mage. The outer layers seems to be made out of a mineral we have never seen before. The mages tried to further study it, but for some reason whenever they try to cast spells on the arm, it repels it, as if there was a barrier, or even an internal force preventing entry. It is truly puzzling..."

Masari droned on, but whatever he said came on Henrietta's deaf ears. Energy surpassing a square class mage? If that was true, Masari would surely try to convince Michael to join in the invasion... Henrietta needed to speak with Michael as soon as he woke up, before anyone else. This was the least she could do for him...

Henrietta's heart wrenched again. She clutched her chest as she thought of Michael, who tried to be kind to her despite of not knowing her personally.

"Michael... I pray that you will be alright..."

...

Darkness. Absolute darkness from what I could see. Wasn't I fighting Dorian last time? Then my arm changed, and that Illimité guy took over my body... just who was he?

I tried to move, and surprisingly, I was able to. In fact, I was standing up and I didn't even realize it. I moved my entire body slowly, trying to feel my way through the darkness. It was then I came in contact with... stone? Something wasn't right. I don't remember being inside a stone room. I tried to punch the stone wall with my right arm, only to end up bruising my knuckles, tearing off the skin.

Wait a second... skin?

I felt up my right arm, realizing that the demonic arm that I had gained was gone. None of the rock hard layers i saw could be felt, and I started to become short of breath. I pounded on the wall, desperately calling for help. My voice echoed into the darkness, almost as if it was simply eating the sounds I was making. What the hell is going on? After pounding on the unforgiving stone walls for what seemed like an eternity, I realized it was hopeless. I was trapped. I fell to the ground, gasping for air, trying to focus. It was then I saw a faint, blue shimmer. The same shimmer that my demon arm had.

My weakened body was heavy to carry, but for some reason, the more I looked at the light, the more I urged myself to move towards it. I dragged my body across the stone floor, crawling forward with my arms. The closer I got, the stronger a strange, familiar feeling I felt within me, as if I knew this light. Enclosed in dark nothingness, it was almost as if the light was calling me.

I reached the light, realizing it was a door. Forcing myself up, I enclosed my hand around the knob. The blue light brightened, escaping my fingers, blinding me. During my temporary blindness, I heard the sound of a door opening, then slamming shut a few seconds later. What just happened? Did the door close on me? I haven't even moved yet!

I opened my strained eyes, trying to get a look at my surroundings. It took a minute, but my eyes were able to adjust. When they did, my mouth gaped to the floor.

"Wait a second, what the hell?! The velvet room?!" I shouted out loud.

There was no denying it. I looked at my surroundings, filled with nostalgia. You probably don't know, but the velvet room is a place in a video game called Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. It's basically the place where the main character can trade and create monsters called Persona's, as well as accept side missions. Familiar Greek symbols engraved the walls of the elevator, stretching up to at least three stories high. At the back of the room, the familiar black gates sealing us in the elevator. Behind the elevator gates, I could see the wall moving upward at a blinding speed and yet nothing in the room moved a single inch. Above the gate near the ceiling, sat the clock, spinning six times as fast as a normal clock should. The ceiling lights lit the room the same colour as my arm, a bright azure.

"_**So you're finally awake.**_"

My eyes were drawn to the middle of the room. Sitting upon a high, royal chair you would see a king sit on, was...

"Me?"

It was me, except it wasn't. I looked down at myself, and I was garbed in my clothes before I came to Tristein. A green and white striped collared t-shirt, jeans and grey sneakers. My arm was also back to normal. The one sitting atop the chair had my Tristein clothes. A grey, cotton tunic, brown leather pants and my grey sneakers. He also had Delfringer and the demonic arm. Looking at the arm closely, I noticed that it was Nero's Devil Bringer from Devil May Cry 4. How is this guy creating all these things? Is this a dream? If it is, its a messed up one.

"_**Do not be confused, I am not you. I am merely taking your shape, as I have no physical form. I examined your memories after you passed out, and found quite a lot about you."**_

"Well, don't I feel personally violated." I snapped back, growling at the other me. He took no heed to it.

"_**Ah, excuse my manners. My name is Illimité, as I'm sure you already know. I created this room from your memories. It's from... a video game was it? After you passed out, I examined your memories for a reason. In order for us to meet, I had to create a room that both of us have seen. You have not seen what I have seen, hence why I examined you. I found this place to be the most fitting." **_

Illimité cleared his throat before continuing.

"_**I brought you here to discuss some important things about you, Astor and Dorian, as well as myself."**_

That caught my attention.

"What do you know about them? Why are they coming after me? Why did my arm change into something from a video game?!" There were so many things I wanted to ask, so many questions that needed answering. The other me sat there patiently, taking in my questions. He shook his head.

"_**So many questions, yet so little time. Do not fret young one, everything will be explained. First, take a seat."**_ he replied. He lifted up his demonic arm and pointed at the floor. I looked at where he pointed, and suddenly, a small chunk the floor became distorted. The small patch of floor then rose, almost as if someone was trying to get out from underground. It then formed the shape of a chair. Before either of us could do anything else, the distorted color of the chair cracked, then shattered, like glass breaking on impact. I could hear the sound of glass shattering in my head, but the morphing chair made no such sound. Beneath the shattered glass was a simple black, metal chair. These were the chairs we used at my high school. The shards then turned into dust, which was blown away by a wind I couldn't feel. What the hell, how did he do that?!

Illimité gestured me towards the seat, and I cautiously sat down. He smiled.

"_**Do not worry. It is not a trap. It is simply something I created from your memories."**_

"You can create things from my memories?" Well, if that's so that explains a lot.

"_**That is my ability, which I will explain later. Right now, there are more pressing matters at hand."**_

I leaned in, eager to listen to what Illimité had to say. After a short pause, he continued.

"_**How much do you know about the connection between Earth and Tristein?**_

...

Henrietta snuck down the silent corridor, keeping her hood close to her face. How many times has she snuck out of her room in the middle of the night like this? Too may times to count. Too many times had she needed to sneak her way from the grasp of royalty. Henrietta did not like turning away from her duties, but sometimes she just couldn't help it. Now was one of those times.

She wanted to see Michael.

Half of her didn't want to go, but the other wanted to see him more than anything. For some reason, she could not shake the words that he had planted in her heart. He did his best to be kind to her in spite of Louise's habitual bickering and gave her the support that Wales always had given her.

She knew it was a bad sign. She was starting to fall for Michael, yet she knew she could never be with him. Not only because of royalty, but also because of Louise. Henrietta didn't hate Louise though, she hated herself for falling into such a predicament. She could never sacrifice her friend like that so that she could be happy.

Still, looking at the two of them, the way they argued, lived their lives, Henrietta couldn't help but feel jealous of their freedom. She wondered sometimes what life would be like if she lived a normal commoners life. She wondered if she would be happy, together with Wales if the two of them were not of familial nobility, but met each other by fate.

Perhaps this is the punishment for her oath with Wales at Lagdorian lake, of the Water Spirit...

_When wind meets water, a rainbow is born. A rainbow which transcends the kingdoms. The forbidden love between us will someday be on that rainbow..._

Henrietta unconsciously touched the water ruby on her left hand. One of the servants at the manor found it amongst Louise's belongings, and at the order of the family head returned it immediately. She almost gave it back, but after dwelling on Wale's death for a long time, she felt like she should keep it. Tears welled in her eyes, falling in the silent night. The fact that he was dead still didn't sink in. She just couldn't accept that he was gone. In a world without him, how could she continue to live?

"_...what you do now is up to you. Are you gonna mourn for Wales death? Or are you gonna stand up on your own two feet and live your life like he wanted?" _

Michael's words echoed in her mind like drums.  
_  
__"For a very long time, I grieved... But despite all of those things, I kept on living because before she died, she told me she loved me, saying it with all her heart and soul..._

Henrietta felt herself choke with sadness.

"_I realized soon after, that she wouldn't want me to be sad. Thinking back now, she would have told me to love another. She would have told me to move on. She wouldn't have wanted to be the reason for my sadness..."_

Was Michael right? Would Wales have told her to love another? She couldn't dream of it.

Before she realized, Henrietta had already reached Michael's room. She raised her hand, hesitant to knock. There was no turning back now. She silently turned the doorknob, and crept inside.

It was a simple room, with a simple hospital bed, a desk and a few chairs. The moonlight shone brightly through the open window, illuminating the cold bed chamber. But the biggest light source was Michael's arm. Michael lay on his bed, sheets crumpled, turning and twisting, as if he was having a nightmare. His face was covered in sweat, and his demonic arm glowed with an ominous light. It felt like the light was sucking her in. She turned away.

Michael grunted in pain, causing Henrietta to jump.

"Don't go..." he whispered. In the cold silence of his room, Henrietta could hear him as if he was speaking aloud. Henrietta crept to his side, having no doubt in her mind that he was talking about Louise.

"Don't leave me... Amy..."

That caught Henrietta by surprise. Who was Amy? Henrietta knew she wasn't supposed to know, but she leaned in to listen anyway.

"Please... don't die... Amy!" he cried out. She jumped back, surprised by the sudden shift. Sweat poured down his face and his right hand held the bed sheets tightly, tearing holes into the bed. Michael's left hand clenched his left breast, as if his heart was in pain. Feeling sorry for him, Henrietta stepped forward, and placed her hand on his. Michael tensed at her touch, but she stroked his head.

"Everything will be okay, I promise." She whispered in his ear. His body relaxed, and his grip loosened.

"Amy... I'm sorry... I... I couldn't... protect you..."

Henrietta's hand froze. Whoever this Amy was, his words meant she was most likely dead. Michael had gone through a similar, if not worse fate that Henrietta. She felt connected somehow but decided to to further press on the issue. She stood up to leave.

"Henrietta."

The voice came from behind her, and she immediately twirled around. Behind her, standing in the doorway was a silhouette. She couldn't make out his features, but from his height and voice, he was male.

"Who are you?! Reveal yourself! To sneak in unannounced, I will scream for help!" Henrietta cried. The figure however, simply raised his hand.

"It is I, Henrietta, Wales!" said the figure. Complete and utter shock filled her very being. Wales was alive? But Michael and Louise said otherwise!

"Wales... No, it can''t be! You're supposed to be dead!

"I am alive and well Henrietta. The one who died was a decoy."

Henrietta's eyes widened with shock and surprise. A decoy? Was this true? Was this really her Wales? Half of her wanted to believe it, the other half of her still wanted more proof. He sighed, and stepped into the light, revealing his form. It was undeniably Wales. He lifted his hand.

"Let me show you proof of who I am..." He whispered. She noticed then, on his finger was the wind ruby. How did he get it? Did he sneak into her private quarters? The ring on his hand began to shine brightly, illuminating the hall in a faint, purple light. Henrietta's ring reacted to the Wind Ruby, shining as well.

"The winds blowing in the dark nights..." whispered Wales.

"The oath of water..."

There was no denying it now. Wales was alive. Henrietta lost control of herself, and flung into Wales open arms, sobbing. Wales stroked her hair softly, comforting Henrietta. Memories of her oath flashed before her, making Henrietta tighten her grip. She listened to his heart beat, sighing with relief and happiness.

"You're alive... Wales..."

"I'm here for you, Henrietta.

"What?" she replied, confused. She removed herself from his chest, and looked up at him. He had a face that she had never seen on him before. He was much more stern and serious. Wales wasn't usually like this. What happened?

"I want you to come with me, to Albion."

"Albion? You can't, if you go, you will surely die this time!" Henrietta replied, confused. Why did he want to go back to that horrible country?

"Even then, I must go. It is my duty as prince."

"No, No! Please, don't go back! Stay here, with me! We can be together, and-" she started, but Wales pressed his lips against hers. It was a soft, brief kiss, enough to allow him to continue.

"I love you Henrietta. So please, come with me."

Henrietta looked into Wale's stern eyes, finally realizing how serious he was about this. Henrietta turned back to Michael's room, then to Wales.

"I will go with you, but how will we get there?" she finally answered. He smiled.

"I know a secret passage through Lagdorian lake. I will take us there." Henrietta smiled again, and nodded. Wales smiled back.

"I love you Henrietta, and I want you to know that I will not let anyone get in the way of our happiness."

Whatever happened after happened too fast for her. A sudden explosion occurred behind her. Henrietta turned around, to see Michael's room covered in smoke. She then back to Wales, who had his wand out.

"Michael!" she cried out.

"It seems we have an eavesdropping rat on our hands."

...

"That was too close." I said, clenching my demonic arm. Wales suddenly took out his wand while I was listening, forcing me to block his magic spell with my arm. Surprisingly enough, my arm took the entire impact. It didn't hurt at all, but I felt the force push me back slightly. I walked out of the cloud of smoke, tearing off the remains of my right sleeve.

"It seems we have an eavesdropping rat on our hands." Said Wales. I looked at him, then to Henrietta. I shook my head.

"Henrietta, get away from him." I said, glaring at Wales. He glared back with equal force.

"What? Why? This is Wales, Michael! The one who died was a decoy!"

I shook my head. What nonsense. A decoy? Wales wasn't a man who would use such a trick. I couldn't explain it, but I felt it. Something about him was different. Before either of us could say anything else, footsteps filled the halls. Wales cursed, and shot the ground with a powerful wind spell. The entire building shook, and a mini dust storm was created. I tried to get close, but the wind was too strong and only pushed me back. Thinking quickly, I stabbed my demonic arm into the ground, piercing the stone, holding on.

"_**This doesn't look good. That boy is possessed!" **_said Illimité.

"Possessed? By what?"

"_**An evil spirit, most likely an artificially created one. I can't sense its entire being, but its in his body. It looks like it took the persona of Wales, stealing his memories and is mimicking his habits and speech, but evil spirits like his only follows the orders of the creator."**_

What the hell is going on? What would anyone want with Henrietta?

After the tornado had died, footsteps filled the air again. I stood up from my prone position just as Agnes and her gunpowder squad entered the room.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Henrietta was kidnapped by Wales." That caught her squadron by surprise.

"You said he was dead!" said one with blue hair. She had a short bob cut, and had the same outfit as Agnes, only her cape was green. Agnes was Blue.

"It's alright Michelle. Do you know why she was taken?"

"Wales wants to take her back to Albion. He's bringing her to Lagdorian lake, apparently there is a hidden passage to Albion."

Agnes nodded, then turned to her gunpowder squad.

"Alright, Michelle, Michael and I will chase him down. You three secure this area and try to cover up the situation. If anyone were to find out about this, there will be complete havoc!"

"Yes mam!" the gunpowder squad replied. They salutes quickly, and we all split. It was then I remembered something.

"Agnes, do you think you can go on ahead?" I said as we sprinted towards the stables. Michelle and Agnes looked at me curiously.

"I'm going to get Louise. I have a potion that can cure her."

"Michael, as important as Louise is, do you think she will be of any help?"

"I know she will. Please trust me. I can take the Dragon's raiment to catch up with you. It's already been repaired hasn't it?"

After a stern stare down, Agnes sighed.

"Fine, but make it quick. We need to save her highness."

...

It's so dark...

I can't see anything...

Michael... Where are you?

A sudden source of light caught my attention. I look up from the endless darkness, and there his is, standing in front of it. The light source was only a dot, yet I could clearly see him standing there in the middle of the darkness. He turned to face me, and I felt my face widen with horror. His arm... his arm changed! It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Not only that, but looking at it gave me a sudden feeling of fear. Whether it was because it was unknown or if because it changed him, I didn't know. I looked at Michael's face, his expression filled with sorrow and regret.

"_**Looks like I couldn't keep our promise..." **_His voice was loud, echoing in the endless chasm.

"_What are you talking about? What happened to you?!" _I called out to him. Strangely enough, unlike his voice, mine didn't echo. His expression didn't change. He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. He was in pain, from what I didn't know. Seeing him in that state made me feel uneasy. I wanted to get up, comfort him, tell him everything was going to be okay. I walked closer to him, but he turned away.

"_**Louise... please forgive me..."**_

With that, he walked towards the light.

"_Don't... go..." _I called out to him. I reached out, hoping he would turn back. I hoped he would run back to me, take my hand, pick me up, and we would disappear together. Instead, he walked faster.

"_Don't go!" _I called out again. I ran after him in a full sprint, hoping to catch up to him. Yet, as I chased him I noticed that instead of getting closer, I was getting farther. I sprinted faster, pushing my body to run, yet the faster I went, the farther away he became. The light he ran to seemed to absorb him, as if he walked through a portal. The light then exploded into fireflies, fading away into the darkness. I tried desperately to collect them, but when I reach out for them, my hands passed straight through.

It then hit me. Michael was gone. I was all alone. I fell on my knees, and the darkness seemed to be closer than ever.

"Don't leave me.. Please, come back... lets go back home, together... Don't leave me alone..."

I screamed out, calling his name, but deep down, I knew he wasn't coming.

I was all alone.

...

"Louise! Are you alright?!"

I felt my eyes jerk open, and my entire body jumped. Sweat poured down my face, and my breathing was ragged. My entire body violently shook. Everything was blurry. I could see a figure standing above me, but I didn't recognize who it was.

"Louise!" called out the figure. The female voice was unfamiliar, yet when I tried to focus, a stabbing pain pierced my head. In the end, all I could do was sit there and wait for my body to calm down.

"You stupid familiar! You said this potion would work didn't you?! Then why is my sister in pain?!" called out another female voice. Was it Eleanor?

"How was I supposed to know this was gonna happen? I was told this would cure her! By the one who poisoned her!" cried Michael. His voice gave me a sudden burst of energy, and I opened my eyes. There he was, about to be reprimanded by my elder sister.

It was when I set my eyes on his arm that I screamed.

"Ah... Ah... Michael... Your arm!"

Everyone suddenly became silent. Elder sister Chi closed her eyes and turned away. Eleanor let go of Michael, and shook her head. Michael grimaced, and lifted up his arm. It took everything I had not to cringe.

"Look Louise, I understand that you're shocked, but right now, we have more important things to deal with." He replied in the silence, shaking his head.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Eleanor and Cattleya looked at me sorrowfully. What happened while I was asleep?

"Henrietta was kidnapped by Wales. I want you to come with me to get her back."

...

I carried a tired Louise out of the silent mansion, with the help of Cattleya. Eleanor followed behind us, ranting about her uncertainty as we walked in the moonlight.

"I still don't like this. You just recovered Louise! How do you expect to help the princess with your Zero magic? And you stupid familiar, how dare you drag my sister out into danger again! Do you want her to get hurt even more? Are you that desperate for danger?! Cattleya, stop them!" raged Eleanor. As we approached the Zero fighter, Louise turned to Eleanor. She was still a bit weak, so I had to carry her on my shoulder.

"I think we should let them go sister. Louise is old enough to take care of herself now." said Cattleya. Eleanor gave her a look, but Louise cut her off.

"I will get the princess back whether you like it or not sister. She needs me right now!"

"Need's you? Why would she need a zero like you?!" she yelled back, enraged.

"Eleanor, listen to yourself. Don't you think you should be acting a little more mature? And why don't you use your head? Louise is Henrietta's best friend. She is the only one who can convince her to come back! She went willingly with Wales for crying out loud! Do you think it will be easy to get her back? We need to try talking to her, instead of just killing Wales mindlessly, and giving her an even bigger reason to go with him!"

Eleanor stepped back at my vigour, clenching her teeth. With a loud humph, she turned away.

"Fine, do what you want! Get yourselves killed for all I care!" she muttered, stomping off. I sighed. I'm gonna need to talk to her later...

I brought Louise to the Zero fighter, and Cattleya made steps out of the ground to help us in. Ah, so her element is earth magic? I didn't know that...

"Be careful you two." Cattleya said with a smile. I smiled back, and Louise glared daggers at me.

"Michael, I want you to explain what happened in my absence." said Louise as I closed the cockpit. Louise say on my lap, and I started up the controls for Zero.

"Yeah, I''ll fill you in on the way."

After taking flight, I told Louise as much as I could remember without holding back. I told her about the invasion, my arm, about Illimité, and about how Dorian was imbued with Elf magic. I considered telling her about my dream and Henrietta, but held back on the subject.

"So Dorian is imbued with elf magic? Does that mean he is an elf?"

"_**No, he is not."**_ said Illimité. Louise jumped, and I looked at her in confusion.

"Whats wrong?" I asked.

"I just heard a voice!" cried out Louise. She examined the cockpit, and it hit me.

"_**Why are you surprised? One of the abilities of a familiar is to share their senses with their master. I am simply doing the same."**_said Illimité like it was obvious. A person's thoughts are part of their senses?

"Well, alright... But anyway, why is Dorian imbued with elf magic? What does this all mean?" she wondered.

"Well, we don't have time to worry about that. Look, it's Lagdorian lake."

Lo and behold, we reached Lagdorian lake. The lake was much different from when it was before. The water levels had shrunk considerably, and down below I could see Wales firing spells at Michelle and Agnes.

"Hold on Louise!" I cried. Louise tightly grabbed my shirt, and I dived down towards the water. As we got closer, I pulled up the nose of Zero, landing on the fighter plane's belly. We slid across the water, and crashed into the bank. I held Louise tightly on impact, but luckily, other than an abrupt stop, no damage was done.

"Princess!" Louise cried out as I opened the cockpit. Wales had just finished firing another spell at Michelle and Agnes, completely disarming them of their weaponry. They backed off as Louise and I stepped forward. I withdrew Delfringer.

"Louise... You're alright... Wait, don't tell me you're here to stop us too!" said Henrietta. Her eyes were red, and she had bags under them. Her voice and her body trembled as we stepped forward, but she took out her wand.

"Don't come! If anyone wants to hurt Wales, I will stop you!"

"Princess, please! That's not the Wales that we know! Can't you feel it? Something is different about him!" cried back Louise. I decided to step forward.

"Princess, I don't know what kind of oaths you have made with Wales, and I sure as hell don't know why. But what I do know is Louise is right! That's not Wales, it is merely an evil spirit possessing his body!" Henrietta shook her head in disbelief. Whatever Wales did while we were away, he sure did one helluva job convincing her.

"No, No! Stop saying such strange things! It can't be possible! This is the Wales that I know and love! This is the real Wales!" I looked at Wales behind her, who grinned evilly, eyes narrowed. Damn him!

"That's right! Now, how about getting out of our way?!" yelled Wales. I could see the deceit he gave Henrietta shine in his eyes. He won't get away with this!

"If words are meaning less, then I guess I'm gonna have to fight you. I said, stepping forward. I activated my Gandalf powers. However, it wasn't like a normal activation. My body suddenly jerked, feeling sapped of energy. I dropped Delfringer, and fell on one knee.

"W-what?!" I grunted in pain. What just happened?!

"Michael!" Louise called out. Wales took advantage of this, and shot a quick wind spell at me. It took everything I had to tackle Louise and I out of the way.

"Michael, whats wrong?!" cried out Louise, who was bent over me.

"_**This isn't good!" **_said Illimite.

"What do you mean? What happened?!"

"_**Think about it. Your arm, what does it do? It stores energy inside it for your personal use! That's why you couldn't activate your Gandalf powers; your arm absorbed it all!"**_

"_You mean I can't use my Gandalf powers?!_"

"_**I will use my power to create a seal on your arm to reduce the amount it drains. However, I'm going to need time! For now, try not to rely on Delfringer and use the magic in your arm to fire spells!"**_

I stood up, weakened from the sudden energy drain. Wales stepped forward in challenge.

"Are you feeling better? Do you need to take a break while we get away?" mocked Wales. The feeling I got when he attacked me in my room became even stronger. I could feel the evil emanating from his body.

"Heh, in your dreams. Bring it on!" I yelled, taking my fighting stance. Wales laughed.

"You plan on fighting me without your sword! That's a laugh, perhaps I should-" he started, but I cut him off by dashing at him. The speed of my dash surprised Wales, enough for me to smash him in the gut with a left hook. Wales doubled over, and our eyes met. The evil energy became stronger, filling me with anger. This spirit thinks he can just do what he wants with Wales body? Not on my watch! I charged up energy in my right arm, and thrust it upwards.

"Shoryuken!" (Rising dragon fist) I roared, uppercutting him with my devil arm. The energy I charged burst out of my fist as I slammed him upwards, sending his flying several feet into the air. Wales gaped at my sudden burst of strength, and my body suddenly felt even more drained, but I wasn't finished yet. As Wales started to fall, I landed on the ground and charged another set of energy. This time, I made sure it was smaller, and more compressed so I wouldn't feel as tired. Wales neared the ground, and I thrust my palm forward, releasing the energy. This better work!

"Shinkuu... Hadoken!" (True Surge Fist). I shot forward a large, azure coloured, fireball shaped surge of energy. Nailing Wales in the chest, the energy exploded on impact, burning him and changing his flight trajectory. Henrietta cried out to Wales, creating a body of water for him to land it. The water put out the fire on his clothes, but it could not heal the burns that his body sustained.

"Wales, are you alright?! Wales!" Henrietta called out to him. Wales however, stood up as if nothing happened. It was then I noticed that his body regenerated.

"Hmph, I am impressed, but its useless. You cannot stand before my power!" said Wales, laughing evilly. Henrietta stood behind him, her eyes filled with disbelief. I picked up Delfringer and sheathed him.

"Princess! Did you see that?! You must have! This isn't the Wales that we knew!" Louise cried out, stepping beside me. Henrietta closed her eyes, and shook her head.

"No... No! This can't be possible! He told me that he would love me for eternity!"

"Don't be fooled by the evil spirit's lies!" Louise replied, but Henrietta shook her head again.

"Louise, have you ever truly loved a person?"

"Eh?" said Louise, confused. I sure as hell was! Why would you ask something like that at a time like this?"

"True love... True love is... giving up everything to be with him!"

I don't know what happened, but something inside me snapped. I suddenly felt incredibly angry at what Henrietta said. I clenched my fist, and dashed at Henrietta.

"HENRIETTA!" I roared, letting my anger seep out. I lifted my left fist to punch her, but Wales got in my way. I threw my left fist at his face, and my right fist at his gut. Wales took my right fist as he blocked my left. Wales doubled over again, but this time I let my rage take control. I grasped Wales collar, and headbutt him three times in the face, knocking him down the third time. Henrietta tried to pull me off him, but I easily pushed her aside with my demon arm.

"Michael, what are you doing?!" Louise cried out, but I ignored her. I proceeded to repeatedly punch Wales in the face with my left, giving him no time to recover. Dazed, Wales could to nothing to stop my onslaught of punches. After a final punch to his jaw with my right arm, I grabbed his collar again, spun him around with my demon strength, and threw him straight at a tree. Just as he bounced off the tree, I withdrew Delfringer, and threw him at Wales chest, pinning him there. He cried out in pain as my sword pierced him, and Henrietta, as well as Louise cried out in horror.

"You're going to stay out of my damn way!" I roared at Wales, who struggled to pull Delfringer out. I turned to Henrietta, who saw how angry I was. She froze with fear as I walked towards her. I grabbed her by the collar, and forced her to look at me.

"Henrietta, you're my friend. I like being with you, its fun. But what you said makes me sick. True love is about giving up everything to be with him? Don't make me laugh! If you give up everything to be with Wales, what will you have left when he finally leaves you too?!"

Henrietta's eyes filled with tears. My words pierced her heart, but she still refused to believe.

"Wake up Henrietta! Stop blinding yourself like I did! I know you were listening to me while I was asleep, I know you know about Amy and that she died! You know the pain that I felt! Don't you?!"

Henrietta sobbed, and I let her go. I stood over her as she wept openly, feeling sorry for her. I know I went too far, but it was all I could do to stop her.

"Don't make the same mistake that I did... Don't shut yourself away from the world... please, come back with us Henrietta... We're your friends, right?!"

Henrietta became silent. I didn't know for how long, but she didn't respond for what felt like an eternity. She hung her head, hiding her features with her violet hair. When she finally looked up at me, her eyes were turned serious.

"...This is an order from your princess... Michael, Louise... My last order to you both... Please, GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

There was no time to think. I back flipped away from Henrietta, who created a trap of icicles I would have fallen into if I were a second slower. I clenched my teeth. So that's her decision?

"Princess!" called out Louise in surprise.

"Louise, please get out of my way! I've already made up my mind... I want to stay with Wales! I'm going to follow him wherever he goes!"

I turned to Wales, who had managed to finally pry himself free from Delfringer. He tossed him aside, and walked towards Henrietta as his wounds rapidly healed.

"That's right, this is how it should be! This is where we part!" said Wales, taking Henrietta's hands in his. I felt a sudden increase of energy in the air through my arm. Henrietta's wand started to glow, creating a spiral of water. Wales lifted up his wand.

"Triangle of water, Triangle of Wind!" he cried, pointing at the spiral. The water suddenly shifted, and transformed from a passive water spiral into a giant hurricane of water. The hurricane rapidly approached us, and I dashed at it, arm at the ready. I held up my Devil arm, and stopped the oncoming hurricane from proceeding. As awesome as it was that I could physically touch wind, I was being overwhelmed; my power wasn't enough!

"_**I've cut off the restraints procedure, however I'm not sure if there's enough power for you to take that thing! It's hexagon magic!"**_

"What should I do?!"

"_**I'm going to speak with Louise again. Protect her at all costs!"**_

"Michael?! Whats going on?!" Louise shouted. I turned my head to Louise, who was confused at the sudden link.

"_**I don't have time to explain. Your element affinity is void magic! That's why you were unable to perform any sort of magic in the past!**_

"You mean that it's true? Michael is the legendary familiar?"

"_**There's no time! Recite the spell I am about to say! Follow me as best as you can!"**_

I could almost feel Louise's uncertainty as she took out her wand. I turned back to the hurricane, and saw Henrietta and Wales on the other side. Henrietta closed her eyes and held onto Wales.

"Louise, hurry! I can't hold on much longer!" I cried out in panic.

"Buru Sirsas An Sudake..." Louise started. I felt the hurricane become stronger as I held on with all my might. However, I could feel my power slowly slipping away. I desperately tried to call for more power, but the barriers of magic that Illimité placed were too strong.

"Haelus Yara..." chanted Louise. Just a little longer, just a little longer...!

"Deteo Isu!" cried Louise. As the chant finished, a beam of light pierced through the darkened sky, illuminating the dawn into bright noonday. The sound of thunder followed, and lightning stuck Wales. The force of the lightning separated Henrietta and Wales, sending Henrietta to the ground. Agnes and Michelle, who seemed to come out of nowhere, ran to her side. I felt the hurricane weaken, and Agnes tossed Delfringer to me. Using both the strength of my Gandalf power and my demonic arm, I roared, dissipating the hurricane altogether. However, it sapped me of all the energy I had left. I fell to the ground, but Louise rushed to my side, helping me stand back up.

As Wales cried out in pain, a black spirit appeared above Wales, screeching like a banshee. The spirit rose from Wales body and into the air. Finally, after writhing in pain, the spirit exploded into black lights, and Wales fell to the floor.

It was finally over.

I looked over at Henrietta, who was plastered with shock. Our words had finally reached her, and she finally realized her mistake. She ran up to Wales body, and Louise and I followed suit.

At that moment, Henrietta, Louise and I turned our eyes to a red stain was spreading over Wales' white shirt. The wounds caused by Wardes and I began to appear on his body.

Panicking, Henrietta clumsily took out her wand, quickly chanting a spell to close up the wound. However, to her surprise, nothing happened. I turned away.

"Wales, don't... No, why..."

"It's no use Henrietta. The dead can't be brought back to life twice." I whispered. Henrietta reached out, touching Wales' cheek. His eyelids weakly opened.

"...Henrietta? Is it you?" It was a weak and fading voice, but it was Wales' voice without a doubt. None of the evil that I had felt before resonated from his lips.

"Wales, no, no... Do you plan to leave me alone again?" Henrietta sobbed, tears streamed down her face like rain. I felt something tug my heart, but I suppressed it; she needed to experience this.

"Henrietta... I have... one last wish."

"Don't say something like 'last'! This isn't the last time!" Henrietta replied, shaking her head.

"I want to go to that Lagdorian Lake... where I met you for the first time. There is something I want you to do for me..."

Confused but ready, Henrietta tried to lift up Wales body, but ultimately failed. I silently stepped to her side, and helped her raise him up. I placed Wales in a sitting position in front of the bank, letting him lie back against Henrietta as she sat behind him. The rest of us moved away; whatever happens now wasn't or us to hear. Still... As witnesses, we couldn't truly move out of earshot.

"How nostalgic." Wales whispered, breaking the silence.

"Yes." Henrietta replied, her voice shaking.

"When we first met, I thought you looked like a fairy. See, you were bathing around here." Wales pointed to the river, a few meters away from where they were sitting. I saw Henrietta nod, desperately restraining herself from shedding tears.

"I'm glad you remembered."

"At that time, I thought if... we just threw everything away like this... we could be together forever... I imagined building a house with a garden in an open field, just for you..." Henrietta's head tilted downward, her shoulders trembling.

"Wales, I've always wanted to ask you. At that time, why did you not make your promise? Why did you not tell me that you loved me? I have always waited for those words..." Henrietta sobbed, trying to control her voice. She did a pretty bad job.

"I could not speak those words... knowing it would make you unhappy." Wales laughed.

"What are you saying? It was my joy to be loved by you."

Wales fell silent. He probably won't be able to hold on much longer. For him to have lasted so long is already a miracle.

"Swear, Henrietta." whispered Wales, mustering the little energy he had left. I closed my eyes and turned away. I knew what he was going to ask, and I knew Henrietta wouldn't like it one bit.

"I will swear about anything! What should I swear about? Please tell me."

"To forget me... Swear that you will forget me... and find another man to love... I want to hear those words... Here, at Lagdorian Lake... In front of the water spirit... In front of your friends..." Irony and regret rushed through me. Would Amy have said the same thing if she hadn't died right away?

"Do not say the impossible! I cannot swear such a thing! There is no way I could swear a lie." yelled Henrietta, shaking her head again.

"Please, Henrietta... Otherwise, my soul... will wander for eternity... Do you want me to be unhappy?" Henrietta shook her head.

"No. I definitely don't want to."

"There is no time... I am already... please..." Wales begged.

"Then... then swear. Swear that you love me. By now, you should be able to swear that, right? If you swear to that, then I will swear as well!"

"I will." That was a lie. Just as Wales said, the dead can't make an oath for eternity. He probably lied for Henrietta's sake. She lifted her head, facing the lake. After taking a deep breath, Henrietta spoke.

"...I swear, here with the water spirit and my beloved friends as witness, to forget about Wales, and to find someone else to love."

"Thank you..." said Wales, satisfied.

"Next, is your turn... Please."

"I will. Bring me to the waterside."

Henrietta did as told. The morning sun poked through the spaces between the trees, and with an impossible, mesmerizing beauty, Lagdorian lake glittered. Their legs got soaked in water, Henrietta griped Wales' shoulders.

"Now, say it. To love me. It is fine for just this moment. I will embrace this moment for eternity. No matter what you say, I will embrace it. Okay?"

However, Wales did not reply.

"Wales?"

Henrietta shook his shoulders. Wales head fell limp. He was dead. Henrietta was silent for a moment, before chuckling softly.

"How mean." Henrietta sobbed aloud, looking ahead.

"To the end, you never spoke those words of oath."

...

I held Louise's shoulders, who was sobbing beside me. She did her best to kill her voice while crying, watching Henrietta. As I watched, Amy flashed in my mind, my heart tugging painfully. Was Amy thinking the same thing as Wales when she died? At that time, would letting me go, like Wales said... make me happier?

I held Louise tighter as I pondered on the subject. Even after this, there will probably be other things to make me... us worry. Even after this, there will probably be times where I will be pressed to choose between my life or Louise's life.

I just hope when that time comes I won't waver.

After another long silence, Henrietta laid Wales' corpse in the water.

Then she waved her wand slightly, and chanted a spell. The lake water moved, slowly carrying Wales' body into the water, where it sank.

The water was ever so deeply transparent, and the sinking corpse of Wales could be seen clearly. Even from where I was standing, I could see his body fall ever so slowly. As Wales body sank to the bottom of the lake, Henrietta remained still, staring at the distance. Morning rose, and the sun shined brightly on our faces.

Henrietta stayed still, staring at the distance.

...

Atop the forest trees, Dorian watched from above as Wales sank into the water. He silently observed everything from this one spot, taking great measure to ensure he wouldn't be noticed.

But it was not for nothing. Michael had taken the bait. By using the ring of Anduvari that he has stolen from Cromwell, who was now dead, he was able to bring back Wales. Not only that, Michael managed to unlock the hidden void potential that rested within Louise.

"Just a little more boy... push your power even further... then finally, my masters wish will be realized..."

Dorian bowed his head in silence, clutching his heart in remembrance. He then stood from his hiding place, taking a final look at the scene below him. He smirked, and with a simple turn, vanished into darkness.

...

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the ending change for this chapter. I really wanted to use it, because I felt it gives a better closure than what Wales and Henrietta did during the Anime. Also, thumbs up to the people who noticed the Final Fantasy VII reference XD

Thanks for Fortscythe for editing this fanfic, and thanks to you readers out there. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, as feedback will reflect how close upcoming chapters are to the Anime. That's all for now folks. See you later!

~CxP


	26. The Priest of Romalia

Change my Destiny 26 - The Priest of Romalia

I

AM

BACK!

PLEASE READ!

Sorry it took so long. In fact, its taking too long. I haven't finished all of season 2 yet, but I finally gave up and just decided to upload what I do have. It has been more than a year since I updated, and it is taking way longer than I planned to finish this fanfic. So whatever, here is the next set chapters. So fa I have managed to finish 5 chapters, all of them with plentiful fanfiction goodness. Hope you enjoy, and its good to be back!

Saying goodbye is something all humans experience in their life. Be it leaving friends, family, home, a stuffed toy, a beloved pet, it happens to everyone and is a part of daily life. However, saying goodbye isn't really the hard part. It's what we leave behind that makes moving forward tough. Sparing a second glance back, even after we left those things, is what makes goodbye hard.

It has been a few days since the incident with the Princess. Louise and I just got back to the academy, after being instructed by Agnes to regroup there. Before we arrived at the academy, I had to make sure to hide my arm from the others. Aside from Agnes' gunpowder squad, Louise and her family, along with Henrietta and a few "trusted" Nobles, nobody knew about it. In the end, they forced me to change my grey tunic (Which was I'll admit torn and dirty from the fight with Wales, but it was still perfectly usable!) into a newer green tunic that greatly reminded me of Link's. Agnes also supplied me with a glove to cover my hand. I also thought about putting my hidden blade on my right arm and over my glove to make sure my gloves and tunic don't flop around in the wind, but decided against it. I wouldn't be able to use my demon arm if I did, plus it would leave my left arm completely exposed.

Louise and I stood now in the middle of the front courtyard of the school, where all the male students were saying goodbyes. Most, if not all the males had a girl clinging to them, weeping and making loud noises. To be honest, it was giving me a headache.

"Guiche, what's going on?" Louise asked Guiche, who was holding the shoulders of a trembling Montmorency.

"Hmm? Louise, you're back! Did you just get here? How are you feeling?" Guiche replied. He seemed quite surprised at our sudden arrival, and at Louise's speedy recovery.

"Yeah, only to find all the students packed like mules. Any idea what's happening?" I asked.

Guiche smirked and somehow that rose was out again. He posed, and I face palmed - the usual.

"All the male students in Tristein and Germania are signing up to aid in the surprise attack against Albion. Everyone is just waiting for Principal Osmond to send us off," said Guiche. Louise was silent, her body becoming rigid. I sighed.

"_**To think they would even let such young students enlist..."**_ said Illimité. I frowned in agreement.

"Don't you think that Tristein is letting the Tarbes battle get to their heads? Didn't Henrietta even say she didn't want to go to war?" I asked Guiche. He gave me a questioning look, and Louise froze. Realizing what I just said, I shut my mouth immediately. Louise's expression suddenly changed, and the air around her became very depressing. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her lips in a hard line.

"I wonder how the princess is..." said Louise. I took a deep breath.

"Well, whatever happens, all we can do now is-" I started, but a flash in the sky caught my attention. I took a quick look at my surroundings, and apparently no one else noticed the flash in the sky.

"Hey, what's that?" I said aloud, pointing towards the flash. Everyone's attention suddenly shifted, and the roar of a dragon shook the air. Flapping its giant, bat like wings, a white dragon descended slowly from the skies. Gusts of wind from its flapping wings blew in our faces as we all tried to hold our ground, the sounds of air rushing deafening our ears. On the green eyed white dragons face, was a strange looking rein. It covered the dragon's face, leaving holes for its eyes. It stopped at the dragon's nose, and I could see a metal piece inserted into its mouth. Shuddering at the memories of horse reins, I noticed the dragon rein had a black star imprinted on it, which was a strange contrast to the rein, which was split in half between red and blue. After a loud thud from landing, a white-blonde haired boy jumped off the dragon's back, landing on his feet with grace. His armour rattled, and I noticed he had a longsword strapped to his side. He was about my height, wearing an armour that reminded me of Agnes. The only difference was his armour was white and blue, in contrast to Agnes which was green and silver. He opened his eyes, which were two separate colors, his left eye red and his right eye blue. He threw back his hair, almost as if intentionally seeking attention and I already knew I was not gonna get along with this guy.

"_**What's a Romalian dragon doing here?"**_ asked Illimité.

I didn't really get time to wonder about it as I instinctively covered my ears to protect them from the air shattering shrieks that broke out from the crowds of girls around Louise and I. They began flocking towards the boy in a frenzy, shoving past Louise and I. The girls jumped and stood on their toes, each one wanting to get a look at the pretty boy who just came by.

What the hell is up with this guy? Who actually manages to make random students shriek like rabid fan girls at an Anime convention? What a piss off! I looked around, and noticed that every other guy around me felt the same. Hell, even Guiche, who was weeping at the fact Montmorency left him for the bishounen. Paying no attention to the females who drank him in their eyes, he walked up to Louise and I.

"Oh wow..." said Louise, dumbfounded.

"Oh God, not you too!" I moaned. Louise turned scarlet, her eyes darting between Julio and I.

"I- I wasn't looking at anything!" she shouted in response. Its official. I hate this guy. I was about to reply, but a voice interrupted us.

"Good day to you. My name is Julio Chesaré. Nice to meet you!" he gave me a smile that was sickeningly similar to that of Koizumi Itsuki from Haruhi Suzumiya. Now I think I know how Kyon felt when he met him...

Everything that happened after that was a complete blur to me, really. It was mostly just girls asking him questions. None of the girls paid much attention to the guys when principal Osmond sent the male students off, which pissed them off greatly. After that, we went to class for a lecture. Although, for some reason I couldn't help but feel Julio way eyeing Louise and occasionally me the entire time. First of all, whenever I tried to pull Louise away, he would simply get awkwardly close to both of us, causing me to shove him away. When I tried using the girls as a distraction to get away, he used them to stop me from going further than the exit. He even went as far as tripping me during the ruckus, in which I responded with a hard kick he avoided by calling his fan girls. God damn it, this guy it annoying. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like he was trying to figure out what we're capable of.

"Michael, what's wrong?" Asked Louise, breaking me out of my train of thought. I took another quick look at my surroundings, realizing Colbert was still giving his lecture. Something about metals and forming their shapes by heating them up. Man, to be honest I'm surprised they haven't really advanced technologically yet. You think that with all these magical theories and such, their world would be a little more like Final Fantasy, with the materia and metal flying battle ships.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just daydreaming I guess." I assured Louise.

"Look, if it's about Julio-"

"No, I'm not worried about that, but I am a little offended. Just throwing that out there."

Louise didn't look convinced, but she brushed it off with a whatever, and turned back to her work. Unintentionally, I overheard the conversation between the girls behind me.

"I heard Julio's a Shinto priest from Romalia!" said one of the girls behind me. A Shinto priest? What's that?

"_**A Shinto priest is a person who worships the spirits of nature."**_ Huh, that's strange... not the Shinto priest thing, but more of the fact that Shinto sounds like a Japanese word...

"Really? That's amazing! Is that why he wasn't able to go to war?" asked another.

"I asked him about it, and apparently, he's off duty for the time being. That's why he can carry a sword around with him."

"Kyaa, so cool! If he's a Shinto priest, how much do you want to bet he's single?"

I was about to turn around and tell then to shut it, but the sound of a door being kicked open shifted my attention to the front. All the students turned their eyes to the door, wondering what was happening. Agnes entered, followed by her trusty gunpowder squadron. They took a formation, blocking the door. Agnes examined the room quickly, her eyes sharp and ready for action.

"What? What do you think you're doing? What's going on?" demanded Colbert, disturbed by the sudden entry. Agnes gave him an annoyed look, but completely ignored him otherwise.

"All you students, gather at the assembly area!" Agnes commanded. Everyone, myself included, became confused at the sudden order. I took a quick look around the room, and noticed none of the students moved out of their seats. I decided to do the same, and put my hand on Louise's shoulder.

"Stay put," I whispered.

"But why? What's going on?" Louise replied.

"I don't know, but let's see if we can wait out some information."

"Just who do you think you are, barging in like this? Whose orders are you under?" demanded Colbert again, getting up from his desk. Agnes, becoming visibly annoyed, answered his question.

"We are from Her Majesty's gunpowder squadron. In order to train the royal army, we are stationing ourselves here for the time being. All lessons are expended immediately! Now, to the assembly area!"

Suspended? They can't be serious! Do they really plan on bringing the war to the academy? Colbert, who was disturbed as much as I was, could only watch as his students rose from their seats. I stood up along with Louise, only for all of us to be stopped by Colbert's voice.

"Students, take your seats! We will continue with the lesson!" he announced. Everyone stopped again. For crying out loud...

"Professor, we are at a time of war. This isn't the time for a lesson!" Agnes replied, becoming slightly angry. The tension in the air rose and I placed my grip on Del, just in case. A streak of sweat poured down my face, and Delfringer's handle felt heavy in my hands. This could get ugly...

"It's because its war time, that they need to learn about the foolishness of fighting a war! Although the male students have enlisted... can you please refrain from speaking about war in school?" Colbert shouted. I sensed killing intent from Agnes, who drew her sword in a flash. Colbert backed up against the wall in response like a rat trapped by a cat. I was about to interfere, but Louise grabbed my sleeve, stopping me.

"What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" she whispered.

"What, you want her to kill Colbert?"

"No, but..." Louise started, but was cut off by Agnes.

"I've always hated mages, especially the fire ones."

A hate for mages? Fire mages? Then what does she think about me? I thought this as the room became dead silent, everyone holding their breath. Colbert and Agnes glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Before I knew it, Agnes smirked, and sheathed her sword. Colbert fell back, gasping for breath. He leaned on the wall for support, and Agnes turned.

"Don't interfere with my mission. Now, everyone, to the assembly area!"

Later on in the Assembly area outside, Agnes, Michelle and their other troops organized everyone into single file lines. As Agnes' lackeys arranged them, Michelle and Agnes handed each one of them a practice staff. The staff itself was a simple, wooden rod. The tip of the staff, which was probably supposed to be the spear, was covered with a rubber ball of a sort. I decided to stand on the sidelines, and was ordered by Agnes to help watch the students train. Taking a quick look over the group, Agnes began to speak.

"Does everyone have a practice weapon? If so, then we will begin with basic offensive training with spears." She turned towards her troops behind her, but Montmorency stepped forward.

"One moment!" she called out. Everyone turned towards her.

"Who do you think we are, giving us these barbarian weapons? We are mages! We don't need tools like this! Be it offence or defence, our magic is more than sufficient." said Montmorency, throwing down the spear and taking out her wand. I noticed a few nod in agreement, but for the most part, everyone was silent. Agnes walked up to Montmorency. Montmorency stood her ground, intent on not showing any weakness.

In a flash of speed, Agnes grabbed Montmorency by her wrist, snatched out her wand and twisted her entire body in an arm lock. Montmorency grabbed her shoulder in pain and surprise, obviously not expecting Agnes to disable her so quickly.

"Ouch, that hurts!" she cried. Tears welled up in her eyes as Agnes slowly choked the life out of her wrist.

"Agnes! You're hurting her!" Louise cried, but she fell silent after a single glare from Agnes.

"Magic huh? Well then, go ahead and try it! Defeat me with your magic!" replied Agnes. Montmorency struggled, trying to release Agnes' vice grip but she was too strong. The more Montmorency struggled, the tighter Agnes' grip became. For a second, I thought Agnes was going to break her arm. Eventually though, she forced Montmorency through pain to give in. It was then Agnes finally let go.

"Once your wand is gone, magic will be completely useless to you. This training is to ensure that you at least have some basic combat training when on the battlefield. In a real battle, nobody knows what will happen. Even if you can use magic, there may not be enough time." Agnes turned, tossing the wand back to Montmorency. Flustered, Montmorency gave a loud "humph" and went back in line, rubbing her wrist. Agnes took one of the staffs from one of her subordinates, and faced the students.

"Watch closely, I will show you the basics of attacking and defending. I will only show you once. After this, I want you all to find a partner and train both exercises together. Understand?"

When nobody said anything, Agnes began a quick demonstration of spear thrusts and blocks. She went through the motions slowly at first, then in fast motion. After that, everyone paired up with another and began their practice session. I stood on the sidelines, occasionally helping a struggling student along with Agnes unnamed subordinates.

"I'm not good at physical activity... I can't get this right no matter what I do," sighed the student I was helping. Christina, I think her name was.

"Don't worry, I'll help you out with it. Besides, it's common to make mistakes. There's a saying where I come from, "someone who has never made mistakes has never tried something new."

"That's true..."

"Anyway, I think I see the problem. You're not using your lower body enough. Here, I'll guide you." I said, standing behind her. I helped her take a standard bo stance, like one you would see in Japanese martial arts, helping her fix her footing and grip. After she had her stance, I stood behind her, held her hands, and guided her through the motions. She flinched slightly at my touch, but I ignored it.

"Alright, do you think you got the hang of it? I said, letting go. She turned to face me, her face slightly red.

"Y-yes... thank you for your - heep!" she started, but stopped. She jumped at another presence behind me, and I turned, knowing who it was already. Louise stood behind me, glowering with a red aura of killer intent.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Michael?" she growled at me. I looked at her like she was crazy.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping her out!"

"You liar! You're just using that as an excuse to get closer to her aren't you?" She shouted. I frowned in response.

"Don't patronize me! Besides, you were the one drooling over that pretty boy, Julio!" I cried out. Louise blushed in response, stuttering over her words.

"W-W-W-Was not!" Louise shouted a little too loudly. I flinched, not because I was afraid, but because everyone stopped their training and started looking at us. Causing a scene was not what I wanted to do today.

"Look, I'll be a little more careful. I promise, okay? So please, don't make another scene!"

"Haha, you two seem to get along quite well," came Julio's voice from behind me. I turned to see Julio walking towards us, a crowd of girls frolicking behind him. He smiled that stupid smile that made me want to punch his face. I noticed he was holding two wooden swords. Was he practising with other weapons?

"What do you want?" I asked bluntly. He smiled.

"Well, I was curious as to what was happening, and decided to join. You seem to know your way with a spear... No, judging from the complexion of your hands, your armour and how you uphold yourself, I would say you know your way with a variety of weapons." said Julio, examining me. Setting is prodding eyes aside, how the hell was he able to tell I could use more than just a spear and a sword? Something is seriously wrong with this guy. I did my best to hide my insecurities, and kept a straight face.

"Okay, so I know my way around. What about it?" I replied.

"Well, then, let me put it this way." Julio threw his practice spear aside, and tossed me one of the wooden swords he had. As soon as I reached out for it, Julio dashed at me with a blinding speed, much faster than Agnes and certainly much faster than I expected. I grabbed the wooden sword out of the air instantly and blocked his incoming strike. Unfortunately for me, even though I caught the sword, I hadn't fully grasped it and hurt my wrist blocking. I grunted, trying to will down the pain. The shrieks of the girls filled the air, and Louise rushed between us, pushing us apart. I rubbed my wrist as Louise walked up to Julio. It hurts, but it shouldn't affect my swordsmanship.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing suddenly attacking him like that?" yelled Louise. Julio simply stepped back and smiled.

"I just wanted to test his abilities. Also, if you wouldn't mind, how would you like to duel with me, Michael?"

"Don't do it, Michael," Louise said automatically even as I said, "A duel with you? Why do I need to waste my time duelling you?" I asked, rubbing my wrist as I glared daggers at him. He gave me that stupid smile again.

"I'm just curious... I know! How about the winner gives Louise a kiss?"

Louise turned scarlet red, and I felt my temper rising even higher. The girls around us gave a loud "Eh?", surprised at Julio's sudden declaration, a few staring at Louise with mixed jealousy and surprise. Just what the hell does this guy want to accomplish? If anything, I would have smashed his head into the ground by now.

"What? Wait a second, who do you think you are, deciding these things on your own? You are a Shinto priest right?" cried out Louise, her cheeks darkening.

"I've stopped for the time being ever since I came to Tristein. That's why I'm allowed to carry a sword." Julio casually walked up to Louise and put his arms around her. Louise jumped at his sudden movement, and I boiled with anger.

"It's the same when it comes to love-" he started, but I cut him off. I dashed forward, grabbed Julio by the collar, shoved him off Louise and with the brute strength of my right arm, lifted him off the ground. I was thinking of slamming him into the ground, but the eyes of everyone watching made me hesitate ever so slightly. The girls around me shrieked at my sudden rage. I didn't care about not drawing any more attention. He went over the line with that stunt, and I'm gonna make him pay for it. My vice grip wiped his annoying smile off his face, and he grunted in response. I tightened my grip on his collar, and brought my face closer to his.

"What do you think you're doing, you lousy brute?" cried out one of the female students. I simple gave her a burst of my killer intent, which caused all the girls around me to back off. I turned back to Julio.

"I don't give a damn who the hell you are. Shinto priest or whatever, it doesn't matter. Touch Louise like that again, and I'll rip your goddamn head off!" He smiled at me again.

"So, does this mean you accept my challenge?" Julio grunted. I let go of his collar, dropping him to the ground.

"I accept your challenge, but don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Wait a second, Michael! What do you think you're doing?" Louise demanded, grabbing my shoulder. I gave her an annoyed look.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm gonna kick his ass!" I replied. Julio stood with the help of some of the female students. They all stared, googly eyed as he assured them he was alright.

"What do you mean you're going to kick his ass? Why are you even so agitated? If you fight him seriously, you might kill him!"

"What, so you're worried more about him than me?"

"Ugh, that's not what I'm saying!" Louise sighed, seeming to realize that she couldn't change my mind. "Jeez, you idiot! Fine, if you're going to fight, you have to do it with wooden swords! It's a definite no for the use of real swords. This is an order from your master!" huffed Louise, crossing her arms. We had a stare down, neither of us wanting to give up. I sighed.

"Fine, no real swords then." I turned to Julio.

"As the lady desires. We'll settle this today with wooden swords. Where shall we meet?" Julio asked, smiling at Louise. She turned away and I glared him down.

" Meet me in the Vestri court in four hours, and don't be late. You hear me?"

"Haha, I greatly anticipate it." With that Julio turned, gently brushing off the girls holding him up, and walked towards the school. All the girls followed, not wanting to stay any closer to me than they already were. I huffed, and turned to Louise again.

"Michael, what's wrong with you? We just got back! Why do you always try to get yourself in trouble, you stupid, barbaric dog?" Louise shouted, and I grimaced. She really doesn't understand why?

"I wasn't about to let him get away with touching you like that. Who the hell does that guy think he is? I swear I'm gonna give him a good beating."

"Oh, so you're saying you were jealous huh? Typical of a dog!" Louise scolded. I clenched my teeth, and grabbed her shoulders.

"Yes! Okay fine, I'll admit it! I was jealous! Do you really expect me to do nothing while he puts his arms around you? Did you really think I would just stand there while he touches you? I won't have it, because I love you, God damn it! Can't you understand that?"

Louise, stunned at my sudden outburst, became silent. I pulled her close, holding her tightly.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me. You hear me, my stubborn beloved master?" I whispered. Louise didn't say anything, but in response put her arms around me.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried about you... I didn't want you to get hurt again." said Louise, breaking the silence. I let her go.

"Its alright... I guess I did lose my cool. I was just so angry at that damn Blondie..." I replied, scratching my head. Louise didn't respond, her eyes shifting around, trying to find something else to look at.

"Are you really going to kiss him if he wins?" I asked nervously, holding my breath. She was quiet for a moment, much to my dismay.

"Maybe...well, I guess this just means that you just can't let him win, can you? That's an order from your master!" She replied, smiling slightly. I smiled ear to ear back in response. I opened my mouth to reply, but footsteps echoed behind us. I turned, as saw Michelle.

"Code name Zero! Emergency gathering in Osmond's office. Be there in five minutes." With her message delivered, Michelle left swiftly and quietly. Louise and I exchanged curious glances, and decided to head towards the office.


	27. Unexpected Offers

Change my Destiny Chapter 27 – Unexpected Offers

When we reached the office, Agnes, Julio and Princess Henrietta were waiting for us. I glared at Julio, and he simply smiled in response. Henrietta turned, her features firm and strong. Despite her exhausted eyes, it seems that she's recovered from her dilemma.

"Princess!" Louise cried out in surprise. Henrietta smiled, walking towards us with grace. Louise fell on one knee, but Henrietta kneeled down, and picked her friend right back up.

"Louise, Michael, thank you very much for the other day."

"N-No, don't mention it! I'm sorry if my familiar said rude things to you!" Louise replied. She grabbed the back of my head, and forced me into a bow. Hey, that hurts!

"No... I was rescued thanks to you... and surely him as well..." Henrietta closed her eyes in remembrance, and let go of Louise's hands. Louise followed, letting go of me. Turning, Henrietta walked towards the window, staring at the students outside.

"In the end, it was a conspiracy made by Albion. As such, the Pope of Romalia and I have done our best in preventing a war... However, we can no longer uphold the peace. I looked at Julio, whose face had turned serious for once.

"The pope is indeed worried about the outbreak, and has decided for me to be a medium between the Princess and the Pope. He also instructed me to help you with whatever you ask for, so please feel free to ask me anything princess." Julio replied, smiling again. Henrietta nodded in response.

_Wait a second, Julio is supposed to help us? That obnoxious jackass is supposed to be our ally? Yeah right! _I thought. I decided to keep my mouth shut though. Henrietta moved from the window to Osmond's desk, and picked up a rolled parchment. She walked towards Louise and I again, unrolled the parchment and gave me the paper.

"Michael, I am eternally grateful for what you and Louise did the other day. As a reward for your efforts, I wanted to offer you this." I looked at the parchment, squinting to read the unfamiliar characters. Louise looked over my shoulder, and gasped.

"Princess, are you sure about this?" cried out Louise. I scratched my head.

"What is this? Some kind of document?" I asked, feeling stupid. Louise gave me a look, but I ignored her. Henrietta smiled.

"Michael, I want you to have the title of Chevalier. With this title, I will personally appoint you to become a noble as well as a knight." I raised my eyebrow.

"Wait a second, a Knight...? I'm going to become a Knight?" I shouted. Henrietta smiled.

"Incredible... This is awesome!" I yelled out with excitement Louise, too dumbfounded to say anything else, merely looked back and forth between Henrietta and I. Henrietta's face became serious again.

"Michael, the Pope and I have tried everything to prevent an outbreak of war. But the situation right now is dire. You, Julio, Agnes, and Louise are the only ones I can rely on. Will you accept this title and help me?" asked Henrietta. Does she even need to ask?

"Of course we'll help you, princess. You can count on us!" I replied. Louise nodded in response. Henrietta smiled.

"So, do I need to sign this thing or what? I don't have a pen or anything to write with..." I said, scratching my head. Everyone but Louise stared at me strangely.

"You know how to write?" asked Henrietta, astonished. That's right, I don't think I ever told them that I could...

"Well, I also know how to read, but the characters you guys use here are different from the ones I learned. In any case, I have a signature if you need one for this."

"Oh... Well, alright." replied Henrietta, who was at a loss for words. Agnes looked away, not caring, and Julio smiled. What's their problem?

After taking out a quill and ink, Henrietta pointed out places for me to sign, and I followed accordingly. It was simple enough, I just had to put my signature since none of them could read my hand writing anyway. Originally Henrietta was going to present this to the court with her signature, but since I could write on my own, the chances of this being accepted were even greater, even if it was foreign.

After officially signing the document with as neat as possible writing (it had been a while since I had written anything now that I think about it), Henrietta rolled up the scroll and tied a ribbon around it. She then took a stamp with her family insignia on it, placed it in what must have been Osmond's sealing wax and stamped it carefully on the paper. The smell of fresh burning wax filled my senses. It smelled similar to a candle if you asked me... with a hint of cinnamon, weird.

"Now we shall complete the ceremony. Michael, if you don't mind, will you please help me with the procedures?" asked Henrietta. I nodded, and Henrietta gave me a quick run of what is needed to be done. Usually, there are three steps to becoming a knight. There is physical training, such as riding a horse and fighting with a sword which takes about six years. Followed by that is Squire training, which is acting as the bodyguard and assistant of a real Knight which can go on until the Knight watching over you sees you are ready. Then finally, the knighting process.

A few things are required to obtain this social rank, some of which include the proper experience and the right armour. If one did not have this then he might remain a Squire for the remainder of his life, or until he got the training and/or armour necessary to continue. Moving on, the night before a Squire's knighting, the Squire is required to stay overnight at the chapel praying in his armour. The next morning the Squire would be bathed and purified ready for his knighting. In preparation, the Squire is dressed in his armour, and has his sword buckled by the Knight who overlooked the Squire's training. The Squire then kneeled before the King or in this case, the Queen, then lightly tapped his sword on each of the Squire's shoulders and officially declare Knighthood. For my case though, we are going to go straight to the knighting.

"Do you have any questions?" Henrietta asked, smiling. I looked at Louise beside me, who was silent with her arms crossed for who knows what. I turned back to Henrietta.

"Seems kind of complicated... Besides, what will I do for the armour? Also, is the praying necessary? I'm not exactly suited to your customs here..." I replied. I wasn't even aware there were Gods in this world, only that there is a founder.

"The armour will not be a problem. I can have a set prepared for you. However, I will need your measurements..." said Henrietta.

"Well... that shouldn't be a problem I guess... Although, is it alright if I ask for one favour?" I asked. Louise gave me a cold stare of "You're asking for too much".

"Of course, what will it be?" she asked. She cast her gaze on Agnes, who swiftly took out a quill, ink and parchment from Osmond's desk.

"I would like to request a custom armour. However, I can assure you it will be... significantly cheaper. You have seen me fight before princess, as well as Agnes. I like to rely on movement and speed. I would like an armour that would allow me to be able to move like I usually do. A Cuirass made out of strong, flexible leather would work. I would also like a pair of leather pants and Locksley boots, if you have any. I don't really need any gauntlets, but it wouldn't hurt to have a pair of vambraces."

"Is that all?" Henrietta asked as Agnes finished jotting down my description. I nodded, and Henrietta smiled. She then clapped her hands, and two maids entered the room, one of them holding a long line of measuring tape.

"Very well then, please go to the next room and take his measurements. Quickly, please." Henrietta ordered the maids. The maids smiled, curtseying. They turned towards me, and led me out of the room.

...

"Well then, that settles everything. Is there anything else you would like?" asked Henrietta as she finished packing up her papers and belongings. I scratched the back of my head, ignoring Louise's "If you ask for anything more, I'll kill you" look.

"At the moment, no. Although, if you plan on giving me any land, don't bother. I don't know how to manage that kind of thing," I said sheepishly. Louise sighed.

"I'm sorry if my familiar's requests burden you, Your Majesty. I'll give him a stern disciplining later," replied Louise. She gave me another look, and I sighed. Great...

"No, no, it is the least I can do to repay him. He has done us a great service in preventing a conspiracy."

Henrietta walked up to me, and took my hands in hers. I did my best not to flinch at the sudden contact.

"Thank you for your kindness, Michael. I won't ever forget it." Henrietta smiled, and I gave her a nod.

"It's my pleasure, Your Majesty."

"Aha, now that I think about it, you will need to start learning our formalities between Nobles. Louise, will you please teach Michael them for me?" Henrietta replied, letting go. She walked up to Louise.

"O-Of course Your Majesty. I will do my best." stuttered Louise, standing up straight. Henrietta laughed, and Louise loosened up.

"Well then, take care my friend." Henrietta gave Louise a brief hug. Louise, slightly confused at first, was slow to respond. Henrietta waited patiently for her friend's response, as Louise nervously placed her arms around Henrietta.

With nothing else to add, Henrietta let go and with Agnes, left the room, leaving Julio, Louise and I all alone. I turned to Julio.

"Now that that's been taken care of, you and I have a score to settle." I said, turning to Julio. Louise gave me a look, but before she could say anything I waved my hand, cutting her off. She closed her mouth and kept silent, sulking at my decision.

"Aha, while that was an interesting spectacle to witness, you are right. Shall we settle our bout now?"

"You're on."

...

Later outside, Julio and I arranged to have the girls watching stand in a circle to make up the arena. I debated that it would be easier for us to just use the entire Vestri court, but if we did that the girls would have to run around to follow us as we fought. Julio said he didn't want the girls to tire themselves over our quarrel, and gave them that stupid smile, making them squeal with delight. In the end I reluctantly agreed.

"So, are we finally set?" I asked Julio, giving Delfringer to Louise. I took my hidden blade and placed it on my right arm. I can't be too careful when it comes to my arm. Besides, I don't have any plans on using it during this fight so why not?

I turned to Julio, who had the wooden swords we would be using. "That should just about set it all up." He replied. Julio tossed me one of his wooden swords, and I caught it with caution. I didn't need him surprise attacking me again. Julio then took a basic Kendo stance, but instead of pointing the tip of his blade at my upper body like he is supposed to, he pointed it at my knee instead. What? Won't that just leave him wide open?

I was about to ask Julio, but Louise called out to me. I turned my head in response.

"Michael." Louise started. She took a nervous glance around her, and then back at me, her eyes firm. "A-a-as your master, I command you to not lose this fight. I won't allow the Valliere name to be stained with losses, even if they're from a lowly familiar like you. So you better be careful." Her eyes softened towards the end of her speech, making me chuckle.

"I'll be fine, we're using wooden swords this time. I'll make it quick."

I turned back to Julio, who was entertaining his side of the female spectators. With a light laugh, he turned towards me, brandishing his sword.

"Well then, shall we begin?"

I replied with a death glare. A second passed, then two, then three. The crowd silenced around us, the only sounds in the air being the wind and chirping of birds.

Julio and I dashed at each other instantly, our wooden blades clashing with a loud _clack!_ The girls around us shrieked at our speed, but I ignored them. Even though I didn't have my powers, I did have rigorous training input into me because of Osfrid. I won't be beaten by a simple handicap!

Julio backed away, trying to put some swinging distance between us. I closed in, determined to make sure he doesn't get away. Julio swung his sword over his head as I charged. As his arm closed in, I grinned, tucking myself between Julio and his sword, stopping any arm movement. I proceeded with a knee to his gut, knocking the wind out of him. The girls around us shrieked again as I pound my knee into Julio. Julio grunted, and to my surprise tried to uppercut me. I swayed backwards, falling to the ground. As I fell, I landed on my hands, twisted my body like a snake under Julio, and smashed my foot into his chin Rock Lee style. I let out a loud 'haiyah'! as Julio took the force of my attack, stumbling backwards. I got to hand it to him, to be able to just stumble backwards after a kick like that? He must have taken some intense training, cause my kicks usually send people flying. Julio held his head, stunned. I dashed forward at him again, just in time to see him grin back at me. He threw another uppercut, and I back flipped away from him, feeling his knuckle skid my chin.

As I recovered from my back flip, I give my head a good shake, and checked if I could move all my limbs and use my senses. If there's one thing that Manga and martial arts taught me, it's that even a tiny shake of the brain can cause you to crumple completely. The girls around us cheered. To my surprise though, some of them were cheering for me while many others cheered for Julio.

"Michael! I won't allow you to let Master Julio kiss Louise! You better win you mangy commoner!" cried one of the girls. While it was nice they were cheering for me, the fact that she called me a mangy commoner killed it. Julio dusted off his clothes, and I grinned.

"Hmph, you're pretty strong. It takes a lot to not fall from a kick like that." I said. He smiled in response.

"Indeed, you appear much stronger than I had heard. I haven't seen many who fight with a style as unique as yours." he smiled, breaking the tension in the air. His face then turned serious.

"It looks like we won't have to hold back then." Julio and I said in unison.

With a burst of speed, we charged at each other. I attacked first, but Julio nimbly swayed to the side, avoiding my strike completely. Any trace of the weakness he had when I struck him was gone. He then swung his sword with the same speed he used to attack me the first time we met. Surprised but ready, I instinctively dodged his blade. If it weren't for the constant life or death battles I have been in, he would have won just then. Julio gripped his sword tightly with both his hands and swung. I lifted my sword to block it, but felt my entire left arm become numb at the power of his swing. Holy crap, it's like he's swinging a metal bat!

Not wanting to give up, I decided to stop his movement and go for a low kick, aiming for his knee. Julio tumbled back as he tried to dodge, but I felt a little impact. It was better than nothing. I pursued him, swinging my sword in a horizontal swipe. I saw Julio's eyes flicker towards his leg as he blocked my strike. Looks like I did some damage! Time to step up the offensive.

Becoming more confident, I swung my sword, my body feeling completely weightless. In order to keep Julio pinned, I had to use every single technique I had at my disposal. Staying true to my training, I planned out my attacks. As he retreated, I followed, pursuing him with back flip kicks, somersault stabs and basic Kendo strikes. If he dodged to the side, I used side rolls, tornado kicks and hook kicks to keep him on a linear fighting plane. However, the onslaught couldn't last forever. Gandalf or not, I still had a stamina limit, even if it has increased over the days I've spent in Tristein. Still, I could see Julio was starting to get tired as well. After all, dodging all my attacks at the speed I was going was probably going to take a toll eventually.

After another sword swing, Julio dodged, narrowly avoiding my strike. His weariness caused him to lose his balance. Seeing my chance, I swung my sword again in a feint, hoping he would jump backwards. He took the bait, and as he jumped back, I used the force of my feint to dash forward, spin and nail him in the chest with a strong back kick. Julio made a choking noise, flew backwards and skid across the grass with a hard _kshht!_. The girls around us were shrieking again. Some of them broke the circle to go help Julio up, who kindly refused, saying he didn't want to stink up beautiful girls with his sweat. Standing up with some struggle, he picked up his wooden sword.

"Phew, that was quite the hit! I almost lost consciousness there." Julio smiled. He wiped the sweat off his brow. I decided to do the same.

"Well, it looks like neither of us are able to continue, so shall we end this with the next strike?"

"What? Oh come on man, I just got warmed up. Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to end you now, I have better things to do." I grinned again, taking my stance. He chuckled.

"Haha, well then I hope this next attack will be able to please you. Louise, are you ready for your kiss?"

"W-what are you talking about?" Louise cried out on the sidelines. I felt my anger increase.

"Don't think I'm gonna-" I started, but something cut me off.

Julio was gone.

"Where did he-" I started, turning around instinctively. There he was, sword held high, ready to strike. How the hell did he get behind me so quickly? Julio swung his sword downwards. I swung upwards. Our swords clashed, making a loud snapping noise. Everything around us froze. The voices of the female spectators died, and the world became silent as I pondered on what just happened.

Julio left out a light breath as the sound of grass shuffling filled the air. He took a few steps back, dropping his arms. His sword was broken. I looked up at my sword, which was still held high. Mine was broken as well.

I looked to the source of the noise earlier to see the remnants of our wooden swords scattered across our makeshift arena. Our swords broke? Then again, we did clash relentlessly at each other, but this means-!

"So it's a draw." I mumbled. I brought my sword down, sighing. I rolled my shoulders, and Julio dropped his sword, clapping his hands together.

"Well I must say, I didn't expect it to end in such a way! Your strength is truly amazing, Michael, I learned a lot." He smiled, hiding his weariness and eliminating the awkward silence. The girls around us closed in on Julio, asking him various questions while paying no attention to me. Ignoring them, I turned around only to run into Louise.

"Michael, are you alright?" She asked. I smiled.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just a little tired that's all."

"Ah, I almost forgot!" Shouted Julio, as if to reply to my answer. He walked up to Louise and I. I stood in front of Louise, curious but alert as to what he was going to do.

"Since it was a draw, why don't we both kiss the lovely Louise?" he announced as-a-matter-of-factually. All the girls around us let out a big loud EH? Louise included.

"Haha, sorry man, but haven't you heard the term 'three's a crowd'? " I replied, grinning again. Julio laughed in response.

"Aha, your sense of humour never ceases to amaze me!" Julio placed his hand on my shoulder. I was too tired to respond to his touch, but it looks like I wouldn't need to.

"You're very strong, Michael. Protect her with that strength, and I can guarantee that you will always be able to protect her." said Julio in a serious tone. His smile was gone, and his hand on my shoulder tightened as if to help strengthen his words. Surprised, I nodded, and he smiled again.

Well then, I'm off to the mess hall to get a drink, would you fine ladies like to join me?" The girls shrieked again, leaving Louise and I all alone.

"What was that all about?" asked Louise. I stared at Julio's back as he walked away.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it can wait." I turned to Louise and smiled.

"Wanna go grab something to eat?"

"Oh, you won't be eating anything here anytime soon." Came a voice from behind me. Louise's face slowly changed from surprised to frozen with fear. I turned.

"Eleanor? What the hell are you doing here?"


	28. Homecoming Part 1

Change my Destiny Chapter 28 – Homecoming Part 1

_This is bad. This is very, very bad. This is REALLY bad!_

Panic and distraught ran through my system as I desperately tried to calm myself and assess the situation. Too much happened too fast for my taste. Just how the hell was I supposed to handle all this?

"Id hurdsh! Yahn! Pweesh shtop Erehnoar! Ahh! Id hurdsh!"

"_**Now this is a sight to behold."**_ chuckled Illimité.

"_Tell me about it." _I replied.

Before me was a scene that I had never thought I would witness in my life. The prideful and haughty Louise was getting her face pulled by her elder sister, Eleanor, unable to raise a single complaint. I sat silently, watching in pity as Louise was berated by Eleanor. Beside me was Siesta, who was in the same state.

"Even though it is a long-awaited conversation with me, why do you restlessly keep looking somewhere else? Moreover, you keep looking at your familiar!"

Eleanor let go of Louise's cheek, much to her relief and began curling up her hair. She sharply stared at Louise, like a snake targeting a frog. Louise shrunk away in response.

"Let your familiar do whatever he wants! As always, you're a restless kid, aren't you? You are a daughter of the La Vallière house, you know? Be more self-conscious!"

"Y-yes sister…" Louise quietly drooped her shoulders. It took everything I had to not to clear my throat and break the following silence. I turned away again, but Eleanor ignored me as if I didn't even exist. To be honest, I wanted to keep it that way. I didn't want Eleanor to target me next...

"As I was saying, the La Vallière house is not simply a Tristein noble family, it is _our_ noble family. Even you should understand that, right?"

"Yes, sister."

"You can't use only your familiar as an attendant, right? Louise, a lady is a person that should, at the very least, always have one female attendant to take care of her when travelling."

I sighed at that, looking at Siesta. She chuckled nervously at the comment, turning her gaze out the window. I decided to try to do the same. My thoughts drifted to Tristein's counter attack against Albion. According to Louise, it has been many decades since the last time the king's troops had insufficient officers in order to organize an expeditionary force. From what Louise told me, she was supposed to be the court lady under Henrietta's direct supervision. In order for the invasion strategies to succeed we were to take on special missions given to us by Henrietta herself. However, after Louise reported to her parents that, and I quote, "For the fatherland's sake, I will join the queen's army in order to take part in Albion's invasion," it ended up causing a huge ruckus. Apparently us joining the campaign wasn't allowed, and Eleanor came to drag us back to her home. Siesta was an unfortunate innocent who got caught in the cross fire.

Naturally, Louise was very angry. What about going to the front? Even now all across the country, at the parade grounds and garrisons, a lot of students are training to become temporary officers. Most of them are male students that have chosen to enter the war.

_I am a girl, but I have to protect Her Majesty's honour as her court lady. Moreover, you are also essential in this invasion plan._

_That's where my Zero fighter comes in right?_

_Exactly. There are a lot of expectations placed upon my Void as well. Henrietta and the Cardinal consider me the Queen's army's trump card. As a Tristeinian noble, there is no greater honour than that._

_This again? Its always honour this and noble that. We've already had this discussion Louise! War is war, nothing can change that! Not who starts it, not who ends it and most certainly not those who think the way you do!_

_I know that! I definitely don't like war. But for the princess' and the fatherland's sake I'd like to offer my poor ability. This is a chance I've been waiting for, a chance to prove myself! I don't have to be Louise the Zero anymore! Also, the loyalty to the fatherland is one of the things the noble family of La Vallière house is boastful of, and yet my own house opposed my firm resolution to join at the front!_

I sighed again as I went over what Louise and I discussed when Eleanor came. Just what the hell are we supposed to do now?

"Really, you're doing such selfish things! War? What would you do there? Good things? Get ready to get scolded by Mother and Father when we get home!" ranted Eleanor, still running off her mouth.

"B-But…" Louise replied weakly. Just as she was about to answer back, Eleanor pinched Louise's cheek again. She was completely treating Louise like a kid. It was kind of sad to watch really.

"'But'? Don't you mean yes? Answer me with respect!"

After that was another long silence...

...

Later that day, we stopped by an inn to let the horses rest. As I exited the carriage, Siesta, the maid that she is, dashed out of the carriage and helped Eleanor and Louise out at a frightening speed. I've never seen her move so fast before.

"Wow, were you always able to move that fast Siesta? If you knew how to fight, you could probably give me a run for my money." I asked, surprised. She smiled in response.

"As a maid, I must be able to fulfil my duties as quickly and efficiently as possible. If not, I won't be able to handle the many tasks placed before me." Huh, I guess that makes perfect sense.

"Anyway, come on lets head on in and- WHOA!"

I turned around, only to be knocked down by a crowd of villagers running from the inn. I grunted in response, annoyed. Just what the hell do these guys think they're doing? As I sat myself up, the villagers removed their hats in front of Louise and Eleanor, who had just stepped down.

"Lady Eleanor! Miss Louise!" they cried while bowing deeply.

Annoyed but understanding, I attempted to stand up. To my surprise, some of the villagers who knocked me over quickly helped me.

"Oh dear, please forgive us Sir!" said one of the male village farmers. He held my hands and helped me up as I stood. I noticed his hands were heavily calloused... Most likely from the handling of farmer tools.

"We did not know that you were with Lady Eleanor and Miss Louise. Here, let us dust off your clothes for you." said a female villager. She patted my back and pants, getting rid of the dirt and dust.

"I appreciate your concern, but I am not a noble..." I tried to explain. Well, not yet anyway. They shook their heads in response.

"Even so, you must be Miss Louise's or Lady Eleanor's attendant. We cannot disrespect that."

They went on saying things like "Let me carry your sword for you," and "It must have been a tiring journey to get here, huh?", treating me with utmost kindness. It felt strange. I was used to be treated like a street rat who was struggling to survive Louise's constant bickering. Yet here I was, nervously but graciously accepting their help and conversation. Oh, the wonders of the universe. I refused to give Delfringer away though.

"We will be resting here for a moment. Please inform the family of our arrival," Eleanor commanded a young boy. The boy, quick to respond jumped onto a horse and rode off in order to report our stay.

Finally after all the hustle, we walked into the inn. It was a simple brick Tavern, like one you would see in Skyrim, or even something on Google I would imagine. Before we went inside, I noticed the tiled roof of the Inn, just above the wooden balcony had some under wood showing. Many tiles were either loose or just plain missing. When was the last time this place got fixed? Shrugging it off, I quickly followed the others inside.

The inside was just as simple as the outside. The wood underneath our feet creaked as we walked, but held strong. I noticed was the smell of ageing wood, mixed with the smell of, from what I could tell, chicken soup and alcohol. The first floor had five tables spread apart evenly, each paired with four chairs. To our left was the stairs to the second floor. At the back left corner of the room was the bar. A large giant of a man with red hair stood behind it, fixing up a glass for a customer. Barrels the size of drawers were neatly stacked on the back right walls, as if to help hold up the Taverns' structure. The villagers formed two single file lines, allowing space for Eleanor, Louise, Siesta and I to walk through, bowing as we passed.

Once Eleanor and Louise approached a table, chairs were immediately pulled out for them to sit on. The two sat down, across from each other as if it were second nature. I tried to sit next to Louise, only to be given a demeaning glare by Eleanor.

"Michael! Michael!" Hearing Siesta call, I turned around.

"Commoners are not permitted to sit at the same tables as nobles."

Oh, I forgot about that Thinking about it now, I have been able to sit next to Louise with no problems. Nevertheless, it was a strange thing to do in this world. Come to think, at first, Louise made me sit on the floor. I shrugged it off with a "whatever" and stood by the wall with Siesta, Eleanor's back towards me. Louise opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a glare from Eleanor. Louise could do nothing but sit in her chair like a good girl. She really looked naturally obedient in front of her older sister. Then again, considering how threatening Eleanor could be, I couldn't blame her at all.

The villagers broke the silence first, chatting around us.

"Oh, how Louise has grown!"

"She's growing more and more beautiful!"

"It seems Lady Eleanor has been engaged, right?" I heard someone mutter. I flinched. This isn't going to turn out well.

"SHHH! Don't talk about that!" someone else scolded.

Eleanor's eyebrows started to twitch and her expression darkened. The atmosphere in the inn took a plunge. God damn it...

The commoners, feeling the murderous intent coming from Eleanor, didn't dare speak another word. Siesta exchanged glances with me, and I shrugged my shoulders. Trying not to break the awkward silence, Siesta grasped my arm, shaking. She was afraid.

To my dismay, Louise broke the silence, completely unaware of what was happening.

"Eleanor... Eleanor." Louise called out a little too loudly. Her voice boomed in the tavern.

"What…?" Eleanor muttered in response.

"Congratulations on your engagement!"

The jaw of every commoner fell to the floor. Siesta held me tighter, and I slapped my free hand against my face.

Once again, Louise had completely misread the atmosphere. All of a sudden, Eleanor's eyebrows shot up as she got up from her seat, stomped towards Louise and began pinching her cheek.

"It hwwuuuurrtssshh! Waaahhhhh! Erenoaaarr! Whhyy? It herrrtsh, it heerrrtshh, it heerrrrtshh!"

"You don't know? You speak of it even though you know you shouldn't!"

"I woan't whoh wah ur hahking awout!" Louise sputtered in response. I sighed. Here we go again...

"The engagement has been cancelled! C-A-N-C-E-L-L-E-D!"

"W-why?"

"Who knows? Why don't you ask Earl Burgandi? He said something about reaching his limit. ...I can't understand why."

Ah, so that's the name of her mystery fiancée? With all due respect, I completely sympathized with this Earl Burgandi. Yes. It was understandable that anybody who listened to Eleanor would soon reach their "limit". Eleanor was much fiercer and abusive than Louise. The Earl must have thought he didn't have the stamina. Poor guy...

And so, the preaching started. Eleanor scolded Louise for trying to go to war. She scolded Louise for not having a female servant with her, and using me all the time. She scolded Louise for not coming home sooner, and so on. Louise's stretched cheek became very red and swollen, her eyes filling with pained tears. Man, I feel really bad for her right now...

However, the reprimanding didn't last very long, because the door suddenly opened and a flow of pink blew in.

A woman, wearing an elegant, white one piece dress and a wide rimmed straw hat with a feather on top, had entered. Under the hat was a flow of silky pink blond hair – exactly the same as Louise's. A lovely face popped up from under the hat. Cattleya.

Well would you look at that, she's actually wearing something different! My eyes unconsciously went down, examining her awesome, well rounded chest and hips. I felt a strong nudge from Siesta, who was still holding my arm. I grunted in response, looking away.

Noticing Eleanor, Cattleya stared at her with wide eyes.

"Ah! I'm so glad I noticed the strange carriage outside and came over here to take a look. I didn't think I would meet you Eleanor! You're back?"

"Cattleya..." Eleanor muttered. She let go of Louise.

Rubbing her swollen cheek, Louise looked up. Her eyes widened, and Cattleya smiled ear to ear.

"Big sister!"

"Louise! No way! You came back as well?" Louise stood up from her chair and launched herself into Cattleya's chest. I turned away, trying to keep my eyes off her ample bust. Siesta pouted, rubbing her own set against my arm. It took everything I had but I managed to ignore her and keep a straight face. It did feel good though...

"It's been so long, big sister!" Unable to control their excitement, the two hugged with a squeal. Cattleya's mouth half opened as she finally noticed me.

"Ah, Michael! It has been too long!" she smiled. I smiled back in response. She hasn't changed at all. Louise gave me a jealous glare, but I ignored her. I shook off Siesta's grip and joined Louise and Cattleya, Siesta following close by. As I approached, Cattleya gazed at my face, staring intently. A strong scent of herbs and spices, as well as strawberries came off of Cattleya as she examined me. Wow, she smells really nice... Louise gave me a piercing glare.

"Erm... is something the matter Cattleya?" I asked nervously, backing away slightly. I noticed some of the commoners were surprised at how informal I was when speaking with her. Cattleya then began to gently stroke my battle worn face. Her hands were ice cold, making me shiver.

"So, did you and Louise... sleep together yet?" Cattleya whispered loud enough that only Siesta, Louise and I could hear.

"Huh?" was my only response, my face becoming hot. I was too baffled by her response to do anything else. The commoners around us gave us strange looks. From the corner of my eye, I could see Eleanor's eyebrow raise with curiosity ever so slightly.

Siesta suddenly turned, giving me a cold, cold glare. She stomped down on my foot. Hard. Holy crap that hurt! Louise blushed furiously.

"H-H-H-H-H-He's just my familiar! W-W-Why would we d-d-d-do such a thing?"

"Ah... is that so?" Cattleya giggled. She tilted her head Anime style, giving Louise a sweet smile. The commoners, still confused, watched silently.

"I'm sorry, I got it wrong. Don't worry about it."

"W-W-W-W-We really didn't!"

After a usual set of chase and shouts, Cattleya, Eleanor, Louise, Siesta and I prepared to get into Cattleya's carriage for the remainder of the ride to the La Vallière household. Eleanor was obviously discontented with having to sit with Siesta and I any longer than she already has, but when Cattleya jokingly said, "The more the merrier right?" Eleanor reluctantly consented. Well, looks like even the mighty Eleanor can submit to her sister at times.

However... we weren't the only passengers in the 7 person carriage. It was a freaking zoo. In front of the seats, a large golden retriever was lying sprawled on the floor, yawning. Louise sat down next to a young bear cub. Various kinds of birds and cats were scattered here and there, the birds on their stands and cats on the seats. A huge snake, which was hanging down from the ceiling via some sort of handle, appeared right before Siesta as she entered, making her faint. I caught her as she fell, sighing.

"Talk about one hell of a ride…"

"Big sister loves animals," said Louise. No kidding.

"I recently picked up a thrush." Cattleya said in a happy voice.

"Show me! Show me!" cried Louise, frolicking like a child. I chuckled, and she blushed furiously as I held down my laughter. Eleanor sighed deeply at our habitual chase.

After finally settling and taking out seats, Louise and Cattleya continued to have a long chat between themselves. Seeing Louise so happy made me smile a bit. She noticed my staring, and on reaction I turned away, pretending to look at the scenery. On the left of the carriage, hills stretched. I turned right, seeing cultivated fields extend. Blocks of straw were piled up here and there, with the occasional farm house. All was peaceful.

Man, why does war have to come at a time like this?

Not wanting to think about complicated things, I leaned onto the window frame. Yawning, I closed my eyes, falling into a peaceful slumber.

...

My eyes snapped open instantly at the feeling of someone shaking me from my sleep. I sat up alert, wondering what was happening. My eyes were drawn to the hand on my shoulder, and from there to Louise.

"Michael, we're here." she said, letting go.

I decided to take a look at my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was it was night. A cold breeze blew in through the open carriage window, making me shiver. Siesta, who was also just woke up, yawned. Cattleya, still smiling, asked "Did you sleep well?" I nodded in response, smiling sheepishly. Louise glared at me, but I ignored her. Eleanor reached into her dress pocket, pulling out a round, golden pocket watch. There was some sort of engraving on the back, but I couldn't make it out in the darkness.

My attention was shifted to a castle coming into view, right behind a hill. Since there was nothing around it, it actually looked bigger than Tristein's royal palace.

"_**It seems that the descendants of the void have received much more than the blessings intended from the previous generations."**_

"Man, this place is as big as ever." I mumbled. Louise and Eleanor didn't say anything, and Cattleya kept smiling. Man, doesn't that hurt her face, smiling so much?

Siesta, noticing the castle, stared at it with wide eyes.

"Wow! Amazing!"

At that moment, a large owl that greatly reminded me of Kaepora Gaebora from The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time glided in through the window and landed on my lap, flapping its wide wings. It took everything I had not to jump and shake the entire carriage, but that wasn't enough to stop me from going Whoa! I flinched as its talons tightly gripped my thighs for balance. The owl turned its head towards Louise and her sisters.

"Welcome home, Lady Eleanor, Lady Cattleya, Lady Louise" the Owl bowed, greeting them. Its voice was low and had a British accent. Another familiar?

"T-t-the o-owl talked and bowed! B-bowed!" Siesta cried out, extremely surprised. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, it's just another familiar." Siesta's shoulders relaxed.

"And where is Mother?" asked Cattleya. The owl turned its head to her.

"Mistress is waiting for everyone in the dining room."

"What about Father?" Louise asked anxiously.

"Master hasn't returned yet." Ah, so this is her dad's familiar? Interesting. I wonder what he looks like?

Louise frowned in displeasure. She was probably disappointed at her father not being here. After all, coming here to obtain her father's permission to participate in the war was pointless without him.

As our carriage trotted up a sizable hill, I saw a drawbridge as I poked my head out the window. We came to a stop at a large moat. As we stopped, the sounds of chains being loosened could be heard from both of the gigantic, golem shaped statue gateposts. Each stone statue was at least twenty feet tall. Though these golems were created only as gate ornaments, they made the whole drawbridge look spectacular. Just like the first time I saw them.

Once the drawbridge finished lowering, the carriage began to move again, crossing the drawbridge and advancing into the rampart. After finally managing to cross the God knows amount of land we passed, we entered the titanic mansion of the La Vallière family.

As we entered another painfully long hallway, we arrived at the dining room which was generously decorated by a lot of luxurious furniture, many of which I don't remember. As we walked in, guided by a butler, Louise's mother, the Duchess de La Vallière looked over at her arriving daughters. I noticed she occupied the top seat of the dining table

"Mother, we have returned." Eleanor said; the Duchess nodded.

The sisters sat down at the large dining table, which was by the way freaking huge. I swear it could hold at least 20 people. Siesta left for the servant quarters, and I stayed with Louise and her sisters. Learning my lesson at the tavern, I decided to stand guard behind Louise, wondering why the hell their table needed to be ten freaking meters long.

My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed Louise's mother staring at me, her eyes piercing my very soul. I responded to her expression with my own. Even though Eleanor possessed a violent, high-handed aura which was already threatening in itself, Louise's mother was just as impressive, and this was just a mother's hospitality towards her daughters.

Louise, despite meeting her mother after such a long time, was acting tense. It seems like Louise trusted only Cattleya and I.

After a brief wait and commanding hand gestures from Louise's mother, waiters entered, carrying the appetizers in and dinner started. Scratch that, this isn't dinner, its a god damn prison. No, not even a prison. Prisons aren't even this quiet. No words were uttered. The only sounds coming from the dining room were the sounds of silver forks and knives. I took a quick glance at the food. The food being served here far outshone even the formal dinners at the academy. I suppressed my sudden hunger.

Louise was the first to break the long, choking silence.

"M-Mother..."

The Duchess did not answer. Eleanor did.

"Mother! Please discipline Louise! This foolish child said that she wants to go to a war!"

Bang! – Louise stood up, slamming her palms on the table.

"I am not a fool! Why am I a fool for applying to Her Majesty's military forces?"

"Aren't you a girl? War is Men's business!"

"That's a very old-fashioned way of thinking! This is now an age when women and men are given equal positions! If positions were only given to boys in the Academy, even you, older sister, would not be able to become a chief researcher at the Academy!"

Eleanor shook her head in what seemed to be amazement

"Do you know what kind of place a battlefield is? It is not where woman and children like you should go."

"But Her Majesty trusts me…"

"You are trusted? You – the Zero?"

Louise bit her lip and gripped the edge of her skirt, her knuckles white. I looked at her sympathetically. She probably wanted to tell Eleanor she was a void user, but what good would that do? They would probably consider her to be insane.

Eleanor tried to continue preaching, but was cut by the Duchess who stayed silent up till now. She clapped her hands, and the two shifted their gazes towards their mother.

"Eat, Eleanor, Louise." the Duchess commanded in a haughty voice.

"B-but Mother..." Eleanor protested. The Duchess lifted her hand, silencing Eleanor.

"We'll talk about Louise's decision tomorrow, when father comes back."

And so the discussion ended.

**...**

Later that evening, after being served a rather unsatisfying dinner the servants placed me in a storage room, saying "all of the sleeping quarters have been occupied with new servants in preparation for the Duke's return." Okay, seriously. How the hell can a Mansion that would put Bruce Wayne's entire company to shame not have enough bedrooms?

In the end, being the lowly "commoner" I was, I didn't have the right to complain. At the very least they supplied me a bed and blanket, despite the dustiness of the room... ugh. I don't even want to sleep anymore.

"Having problems again eh, partner?" said Delfringer, popping out of his sheathe. I gave him a look.

"Why are you so suddenly chatting out of the blue? Not even a hello after not speaking to me for so long?" I replied sarcastically. He laughed.

"Well, I figured you had your hands busy, especially with that woman Eleanor. If I were to speak, she would have roasted me like a pot of stew."

"Heh, got that right. That woman is scary..."

"_**Eleanor certainly does have a fiery personality."**_

I sighed. Here I am, in a storage room with nothing better to do than play "The Three Stooges" with a talking sword, a mysterious spirit and myself. Oh, the wonders of the universe...

"Speaking of which, I wonder how Louise is doing..." I sighed. She was probably sleeping in one of her grandeur master bedrooms with beds that could probably fit a whole damn village. Yet here I was with a bed that could barely hold me.

"She really is a noble isn't she? Beautiful, rich, everything a noble should be." I said to myself. Delfringer shuffled in his sheathe.

"That she is. You really are a lucky fellow to have a noble fall for you aren't you Mike?" replied Delfringer. I chuckled.

"I guess I am... But will it work out?"

"_**Well, if you manage to fulfil your right of passage and become a Chevalier, perhaps you could rise through the noble ranks? With your sword skills you could become a Captain."**_

"That could work..."

Before I could say anything else, the door opened. I turned, squinting slightly at the sudden light that shot through. A figure covered in a blanket rushed through, shutting the door clumsily behind them. I stood up from my spot on my bed, wondering who wanted to intrude at this time. I didn't have to wait long though.

"Louise? What are you doing here?" I said, surprised as she pulled off the blanket. I blushed slightly, looking away. She was wearing nothing but her night gown and her panties. She jumped at my question.

"Uwah! Michael, you scared me. I thought you were still asleep..." she blushed. She covered herself again with her blanket. I sighed in response, walking towards her.

"Is there any particular reason you decided to come see me at this hour? Did you miss me that much or am I just that irresistible? I said, grinning ear to ear. Her face turned scarlet.

"W-W-W-Who would miss a-a-a-a-a dog like you, w-who only takes advantage o-o-o-of his master?" Louise brought her arms up like a child insisting she didn't break the pot of flowers. I laughed, making her pout.

"I was kidding I was kidding! But seriously, why are you here?"

Louise remained silent, not wanting to give me a solid answer. She looked away, brushing past me.

"T-T-T-There's no reason. I was... I was told to come here! A-A-A-A-A servant told me you wanted to see me, and as your master I had not choice but to visit you, even if it is late..."

I sighed, unconvinced. Well, whatever. It's not like it matters anyway.

"Alright fine, a servant called you here. Now what?"

"What do you mean now what? It's late! Aren't you going to sleep?"

"No, I was planning on going outside for a little walk, but I guess I could stay since you're here." I held her hand and pulled her to my bed, ignoring her cries of surprise. We sat ourselves down.

"So, are we going to sleep or are we going to talk?" I asked. Louise didn't reply. She sat still for a very long time, long enough to make me wonder if she fell asleep. I was about to call her name, but to my surprise, she leaned her head on my shoulder. She was stiff at first, but she relaxed when I didn't say anything. I placed my arm around her waist.

"I'm worried about what my father will say... What if he says no? What am I supposed to do?"

I didn't know what to say. She sighed when I didn't reply.

"Michael... what are we going to do now? If my family finds out about us..." I cut her off, embracing her tightly. Her body became solid again, and her body temperature increased. When I didn't say anything, she put her arms around me, relaxing again.

"It's alright... It'll work out... somehow." I whispered.

I didn't even believe my own words.

**...**

The sound of someone running through the halls awoke me from my slumber. I looked to my left, noticing Louise was still sleeping. I gently pried off her arm, which was wrapped around mine. She mumbled something, but I decided to ignore it. As I headed towards the door, it opened with a loud bang, and one of the castle's housemaids jumped in. I instinctively dashed around a maid that rushed by. Louise roused up from her sleep, disturbed by the noise.

"Hey, what's going on? I called out, exchanging confused glances with Louise. The maid talked at she picked up mops and buckets across the floor. She didn't seem to notice Louise.

"No time! Master has arrived! We need to keep the castle sparkling…" she shouted, and with an armful of cleaning tools, she ran out. Soon, another servant dashed in to grab a mop and bucket. It took Louise and I a few moments to register what had just been said.

Louise's father had returned.


	29. Homecoming Part 2

Change My Destiny 29 - Homecoming Part 2

"Louise, please wait a moment." I called out to Louise as we walked down the corridor. Her father had just got back, and had summoned Louise and the rest of her family for a private breakfast. Louise turned towards me sharply, her eyes flaring.

"What is it Michael? Please, I don't have a lot of time." Her voice trembled somewhat, but I could tell from her expression she was trying to hide her insecurity. I sighed.

"Look Louise... are you really sure about all this? I mean, asking your father to go to war." Louise looked at me like I was retarded.

"What do you mean am I sure? Of course I'm sure! For the princess' sake, I am ready to do anything!" she yelled. I grabbed my head in frustration.

"You see, that's what I'm saying! You say that you're doing this for the princess, that you can do this because the princess believes in your power... Are you really doing this because you want to? If it were anyone else who asked you to fight in this whole goddamn war, would you have taken up the offer?

Louise's eyes faltered, her expression showing doubt. Her body began to shake slightly.

"I...I'm sure that I would have done the same thing." Louise turned away, and I sighed.

"Look Louise, I'm sorry if I shouted, and I won't preach to you anymore... but I only want one thing from you." Louise turned towards me again, her expression curious.

"From now on, please make sure whatever you do, no matter how tough the decision is, no matter how long you have to think, the final decision shall always be yours. Nobody in this world can tell you what to do Louise; only you can decide your own fate. Not me, not your father, not the princess, you. When you go meet your father, when you ask him to go to join the front or whatever, you do it because its your decision. Can you do that for me?"

Louise remained silent for a moment, her expression hidden by her long, blonde-pink hair. I patiently waited for her answer.

"... I will." Louise finally replied. I smiled, pulling her into a brief hug.

"Alright then, good luck Louise."

**.**

**.**

**Louise POV**

The tension in the air was high as my family and I sat down for breakfast together. We sat around the table in order of Father, Mother, Eleanor, Cattleya and I. Unlike usual, Eleanor and Cattleya were silently looking at their plates, not even bothering to look up as we were served. No words were spoken, but judging from my father's expression, he was in a considerably bad mood.

"Damn that bird-brained idiot!" growled Father as he took a bite from his meat. Now was definitely not the time to ask.

"What is the matter?" replied Mother, her face cool and collected as always.

"After calling me all the way to Tristein, I was wondering what he was going to say to me... 'Organize one of my army corps,' he said! Don't make a fool out of me!"

"Did you agree?" replied Mother.

"Like hell I would! I already retired from military service! Why doesn't he command the soldier that took my place to do it and let me stay with my family! Moreover, I'm against this war!"

"That's true, but is that fine? Didn't the Cardinal's official notice state that right now, the fatherland has to unite in order to defeat our bitter enemy? A rumour that the La Vallière family is treacherous will spread, which will affect our social life as well." Mother paused to take another bite from her breakfast. Father shook his head in frustration.

"You shouldn't call a bird-brained idiot like that a 'Cardinal.' 'Idiot' is more than enough. Even more, to take advantage of such a young queen..."

At his words, I coughed up the bread I had just swallowed. I clumsily excused myself as I wiped my face, desperately trying to ignore Eleanor's death glare.

"Oh, my apologies. Sorry for making you hear the truth about the court's sparrow." said Father sarcastically to no one in particular. He took a drink from his wine glass.

"By all means, feel free to let us hear what you think." said Mother, passing me a cold look. I shrunk under her gaze.

Father replied with a hmph, not bothering to continue. As he began to eat his meal again, I placed my utensils down on my plate. The metal clang sounded like an explosion.

"There is something I'd like to enquire of Father." I asked, my voice trembling.

Father watched me intently, making me shift uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Of course that is fine, but before that, won't you give your father a little kiss, Louise?"

With weak limbs, I stood up and approached father, and after that gave him a kiss on the cheek. I took a step back, and took a deep breath, closing my eyes. I opened them again, seeing father's undivided attention.

"Why is Father opposing my decision to join the war?" I asked, keeping my voice as calm as possible with little success.

"Because this war is a huge mistake." Father shook his head again.

"It is a war against Albion, who invaded us in the first place. What is wrong with ambushing them?" I replied.

"Attacking them from the side isn't something I would call an 'ambush.' Look here!"

Father then manipulated his plate and the food on it, organizing it into a complex set of military positions I wasn't familiar with. Keeping quiet, I decided it would be best not to interrupt.

"The thing you call an 'ambush' is having a military force so overwhelming that it can succeed from the first time. The enemy's army is about fifty thousand. Our army, together with Germania's, is sixty thousand."

"Doesn't our army have ten thousand more men?" I asked. Wouldn't having more numbers increase our chances of victory?

"If the attacking army was three times as big as the defending army, it would be a certain victory. However, because Albion's sky forces have been organized and have good positions, with this number it will become a difficult battle."

"But..." I mumbled. Father then peered into my face, trying to gauge why I was asking such a question.

"We will blockade that annoying continent from the sky and then just wait until it runs out of resources. If we do that, eventually they'll come asking for peace. The conclusion of the war will come just like that, like blending white and black. However, what are you going to do if the ambush fails? The possibility for that isn't small."

I remained silent. Every single thing father had said was a good argument.

"Because of the victory at Tarbes we've grown overconfident. Overconfidence leads to negligence. To make matters worse, taking the Academy of Magic's pupils along as officers? I can only say that that is stupid. What can kids do? In war, you know, you can't say you are strong enough just because you have greater numbers. Ambushing is an act that means you have absolute confidence that you will achieve victory from the first attempt. There is no way I'd let my daughter enter such a war."

"Father..."

Before father could let me finish, he stood up, towering over me.

"Now then, breakfast is finished."

I bit my lip, not daring to say anything, much less make any movement.

"Louise, from here on out you are under house arrest. You won't be allowed to leave this castle until the war is over." he walked past me, attempting to leave.

"What? Father, please wait!" I called out, turning. I heard my family behind me shuffle as I turned, probably in an attempt to make me stop. I didn't care, I needed to do this.

"What? I told you that the talk is over." Father commanded.

"Louise... you..." growled Eleanor. I ignored her.

"To the Princess... no, to Her Majesty, I am a necessity."

"What do you mean when you say that she needs you? Your ability with magic is..."

I bit my lip again, calming myself.

"Right now, Right now I can't say, but... I...I am no longer the me from the past!" I shouted. Eleanor grabbed my by the arm, pulling harshly.

"Louise! What are you saying to Father?" Eleanor said with an intense voice.

"Big Sister, you be quiet! Right now, I'm leading a conversation!" I snapped back. Everyone became silent, surprised at my sudden attitude. The me from before would never go up against Eleanor in such a manner. But I am no longer the me of the past. It's time to take action.

"I have always been treated like an idiot. I always felt regret when I was being compared to my sisters and was told that I have no talent in Magic. But, but, now it's different. I was clearly told by Her Majesty that I am necessary to her."

With those words, the expression in father's eyes changed. He turned towards me, went down on one knee and peered into my eyes. I stared back intensely, determined not to lose.

"...You have finally realized what your dominant Element is?"

I nodded confidently.

"Which of the four?"

That made me freeze up, but I shouldn't be surprised. My family doesn't believe in the fifth void magic, or at least those who do think that the line has disappeared. I thought for a long hard moment, wondering what I should say in return. Would it be okay to lie to my own Father?

"... Fire." I announced.

"Fire?" he replied. For a little while, father gazed at me and then he slowly nodded.

"You have the same Element as your grandfather. I see, Fire, hmm. ... In that case, it's only natural that you would be attracted to war. It's a sinful Element. Truly an element covered in sin."

"Father..."

Father hung his head feebly.

"If I remember correctly, you said that Her Majesty needs your power, right?"

"Yes."

"Listen, Louise. This is very important. There is no mistake about it. When nobody else was around, Her Majesty told you that your power is necessary to her, right?"

"Yes. I was told by Her Majesty that my power is necessary to her." I declared. Much to my dismay, father shook his head in disgust.

"What an honourable thing. A terribly honourable thing. However... As I thought, there is no way for me to recognize this."

"Father!" I shouted, panicking.

"People can certainly make mistakes because of this thing called loyalty. I will report to Her Majesty myself. Jerome!"

"Yes my Lord?" Said Jerome, father's personal Butler.

"Prepare paper and a quill." After that he turned towards me.

"You have to choose a son-in-law for me," he declared.

"Huh? Why?" I replied dumbly, too confused at the sudden shift.

"I can't recognize your participation in the war. I absolutely can't recognize it. You're probably despaired, because of that traitor Wardes, right? That's why, choose a son-in-law for me. Also, calm down your heart, okay? You've told me that you want to go to war twice now. This is an order. No changes are allowed."

"Father! Please reconsider!" I shouted. However, all he did was shake his head.

"Jerome, don't let Louise out of the castle. Understand?"

"Certainly!" Jerome nodded.

Father then left without another word. Mother, Cattleya and Eleanor then surrounded me in a tight semi circle, leaving me little room to breathe as I backed into the table.

"Father isn't young anymore. Don't worry him so much!" criticized mother, her cool face becoming distraught.

"Because you worried Father so much, now you have to choose a son-in-law." said Eleanor coldly. She placed her hand on her forehead.

"Why do I have to? According to the order, Eleanor must..." I started, but realized too late at what I just said. Before I could do anything else, Eleanor grabbed me by the cheek, pulling very hard.

"Aooouu! I-I'm sowwy... Vut, to me, verrege is shtill..." I sputtered. On a side note, I was kind of glad that Michael wasn't here to see this...

"Why? For what reason? Do you have a lover?" Mother asked suddenly. So suddenly that my body involuntarily froze, and Eleanor let go of my cheek. My face became very hot.

"D-D-D-Don't have. Don't. N-N-No such thing!" I stuttered. My face grew even hotter.

Mother and Eleanor must have noticed something because of my expression. The two exchanged glances.

"It seems you're thinking of someone." said Mother.

"There's no such person!" I shouted.

"Who? From which noble house?" asked Eleanor.

"Count? Baron?" followed mother.

"Honoured Baron? You couldn't... can it be you fell in love with a Chevalier?" gasped Eleanor. My body involuntarily solidified at her comment.

"Oh no, this girl..." said Eleanor, her voice becoming bitter. Mother pressed down her hand on her forehead.

"Ooh, it's because I never really took proper care of this girl..."

"I-I didn't fall in love with anyone!" I shouted, but they took no heed to it.

"No matter how old this girl gets, she will always worry us, won't she? Chevalier or Order of Merit, I don't know, but... she fell in love with a man with low social status!" said Eleanor.

"I said, I haven't...!", I started, hesitating. Mother and Eleanor glared me down. The vigour and spirit I had when confronting father became completely drained.

"Be quiet!" they both shouted.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say.

I couldn't take it anymore!

Shoving past my mother and sisters, I ran as fast as I could.

**.**

**.**

**Michael POV**

I thrust my sword forward, aiming for the dead center of the straw dummy's chest. My blow struck right between the dummy's solar plexus. Ripping out my sword, I kicked the dummy behind me, swiftly cutting its head as I regained my footing.

"Good strikes, but maintain your footing! While jumping, kicking and rolling are good offensive to evasive manoeuvres, they keep you moving in one direction! Make sure you always have control of your movement!" shouted Osfrid as I cut down another dummy. I nodded in response. Moving swiftly and gracefully, I cut down the four remaining dummy's, using pivots combined with quick, low dashes. When I finished, Osfrid clapped his hands. I stood up, sheathing Delfringer.

"Good, you have been improving. Your strikes are much more concise, and your cutting technique is much smoother."

"What should I focus on next?" I asked, eager to continue my training. He held up his hand.

"I think our training will need to be put on hold." I opened my mouth in protest, but footsteps and Osfrid kneeling down shifted my attention. I turned.

"Lady Cattleya, of what pleasure do I owe you on such a fine day?" said Osfrid respectfully, falling on one knee.

"Ah Osfrid. You always were a gentleman weren't you? It's a pleasure to see you." said Cattleya, smiling.

"The pleasure is mine, knowing that My Lady is in good health today."

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's the same as always."

That caught my attention. Cattleya doesn't have good health? I was about to ask, but Cattleya cut me off.

"If it is not too much to ask, I would like to speak with you in private Michael." said Cattleya, her face turning serious. Osfrid, noticing her change of expression, silently excused himself. As he left, Cattleya waved, smiling again.

"What is it you would like to speak to me about, and how did the conversation with Louise's father go?" I asked, wondering what was going on. Cattleya's smile dropped.

"Come, let us walk. It's a nice day." smiled Cattleya. Slightly confused, I joined her as she walked across the plains.

After pondering on the situation, she filled me in on everything that happened, word for word. As she filled me in, I felt something tug at my heart.

"Is that all? Where is Louise right now?" I asked as Cattleya finished her side of the story.

"She is probably hiding in the courtyard, by the pond. There should be a small deck with a boat anchored there."

"Well, you think she would pick a better place to hide..." I sighed. Cattleya laughed.

" She loves to go there. Ever since she was young, whenever something bad happened or whenever she was sad she would go there and hide in the boat under the covers."

"Well, its fine and dandy that I know where she is, but what should we do after?"

"After you take Louise from there, leave the castle grounds. On the main road there is a carriage waiting for you. The maid that you brought along with you is leading it, so go there."

"Siesta huh? Looks like bringing her was a good idea after all..." I replied, but Cattleya seemed to be caught in her own words.

"I don't admire war. I hate it. Honestly, I don't want to let Louise go. But, if that girl has decided that she wants to do that and there's someone that she finds it necessary to go for... If that's the case, I think we have to let her go. That's not something for us to decide."

I sighed with relief. She thought the exact same thing I told Louise this morning.

"Louise really is a handful isn't she? Ah well, That's what makes her who she is." I laughed. Cattleya laughed with me. She then cupped my cheeks with her hands. Her hands were ice cold.

"I leave my cute little sister in your hands. I believe only you can truly make her happy."


	30. The Reason To Fight

Change my Destiny 30 – The Reason To Fight

"Where could she have hidden?"

"Ever since she was a child, she has always hid like this."

"Well, that doesn't matter now. If we can't find her, the duke will be very disappointed with us!"

The servants continued their search, splitting up. I crouched low behind the bushes, doing my best to conceal myself from them. The last thing that I wanted to do was to lead them straight to Louise and make our escape harder than it had to be.

As the servants left and the coast cleared, I waited patiently for a few minutes, listening to my surroundings. When I felt confident it was safe, I jumped out from my hiding spot, and sprinted down the dirt path.

"Partner, do you even know where you're going?" asked Delfringer, popping out of his sheathe. I pulled him out.

"That's where you come in handy!" I said, activating my Gandalf powers. Using my familiar strength, I ran up the largest tree I could see. I grabbed a branch with my demon arm, kicked up my legs and flipped up to grab a branch above me. I repeated the process until I reached as high as I could go, then climbed to the very top of the tree.

"Well, the view isn't so bad up here." I said, examining the area. If my memory is correct, the sun rises in the East and sets in the West... Right now its past noon, so the sun must be facing either North or South right now.

"_**Look, the pond is southward."**_ informed Illimité. I turned away from the sun, seeing a rather large pond stretch as wide as my field of vision. Looks more like a lake than a pond... Jeez, nobles sure are luxurious.

"Well then, this just makes it easier for me." Using my familiar strength again, I crouched low, and pounced forward, jumping from tree to tree. It's a good thing there are so many trees here. Then again, it would make sense since its close to a water source.

After a long series of jumps, I finally managed to reach the lake. As I landed on the closest possible tree, voices filled the air.

"Find her, she could be anywhere!" called out a servant. I dropped down from my spot up in the tree, hiding amongst the branches and leaves. The servants passed by without sparing a second glance my way. Well, looks like they don't even bother looking up. Too bad for them.

When the area was clear, I jumped down from my hiding spot, landing on the dirt path. I quickly began scanning the area. To my left, the lake stretched out for what could have been at least several miles. The lake reached deep into the forest on the other side. I looked to my right, and saw the deck. Tied to the deck was a small rowing boat, like one you would see in Italy. A blanket that I recognized all too well shifted inside the boat. I ran towards it.

"Couldn't you have picked a better place to hide? Like, maybe in a tree or under a rock?" I said as I approached the boat. Louise froze under the covers, her body not moving an inch. I sighed.

"Louise, come on. Your sister prepared a carriage for us to high tail out of this joint. If it isn't too much to ask, could you help yourself out of the boat-" I started, reaching out, but Louise cut me off.

"You're annoying. Leave me alone." Louise hid herself under the covers again. I sighed.

"... I see, so they they said no." When Louise didn't reply, I got into the boat. Louise shifted under the covers as I sat down, but remained hidden.

"Come on Louise, if you stay like that, you're going to suffocate. Or do you want to take the easy way out and hide forever?"

Louise shifted under the covers again, and as I was about to ask her another question, she spoke.

"Why did it have to come to this...? I lied to my father about my element, got denied joining the front, and now my father wants me to marry! Why does everyone always look down on me? Why can't anybody acknowledge me for once?" Louise's voice strained, her body trembling again. She's been very insecure lately hasn't she? Well, not that I can blame her...

"... Alright then." I said, forcing off the covers. Louise yelped in response.

"H-Hey, what are you doing? Give that back!" Louise shouted. Her eyes were red from crying. Ignoring her cries, I threw the blanket into the water, took her by the wrists.

"H-H-Hey, what do you think you're doing? What will you do if someone see's us?" I ignored her cries, staring her down. "Michael, are you listening to me?" she called out again. She tried to pry her hands away from mine, but I held my grip. I made sure to hold tight, but not tight enough that she would get hurt. When she finally realized she couldn't escape, she sat quietly. I then spoke.

"Louise, I know that things are tough for you. I may not understand what you are going through, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I want you to know I will always acknowledge you. There will never be a day in my life when I won't think about you. Even if your parents abandon you, even if you and I are the only human beings left in the world, I will always acknowledge you. So please, stop hiding. How can I acknowledge you if you aren't here with me?"

Louise's face turned a bright scarlet at my on the spot speech. When she didn't reply, I continued.

"I love you Louise. So please, let's go back together already."

"Michael..." Louise whispered. Her eyes softened, and her body relaxed. I finally let go of her wrists. She cast her gaze downward. After a few seconds, she looked back up, her eyes serious.

"...If you're lying to me about this, I'm going to kill you."

"Louise, if I wasn't serious about this, I would have left a long time ago."

Louise held my hands. Her eyes flickered for a split second, and I pulled her into into my embrace. I put my left arm around her waist and my right on her head, stroking her hair and taking in her scent. She buried her head in my shoulder, taking a deep breath. After a few seconds, Louise pulled her head away, still holding onto me.

Louise's eyes flickered with hesitation again. She then closed her eyes, taking another deep breath. Instead of opening her eyes like I thought she would, she leaned forward. Surprised, it took me a few seconds to register she was still waiting, her expression becoming impatient. She wanted me to kiss her? Man, I'm on fire today!

I leaned in, she held her ground, and we moved our lips together for the first time. She placed her hands around my neck, and I pulled her head in, deepening our kiss.

Something was wrong. My right arm pulsed, making my eyes snap open. I abruptly ended our kiss, much to Louise's dismay.

"What's wrong?" she asked. My arm pulsed again, this time so strong I could tell even Louise felt it. Our eyes were drawn to my arm in confusion as it pulsed like a heart beat, again and again. I thought back to the details on Nero's arm, trying to remember if and why it did this in game. My eyes widened in shock.

Someone powerful was nearby.

My head snapped up straight, sensing magic in the air. Trusting my instincts, I roughly pulled Louise closer to me and jumped, trying to land as far away as possible. She yelped, wondering what was going on. Much to my dismay, as soon as my feet left the boat, I turned my head just in time to see a water geyser burst through the wood, sending Louise and I spinning. Louise screamed out, and I held her tighter, trying to recover from our fall. In the end, everything was spinning too fast, making me unable to do anything but take the fall and roll across the dirt path like a rock across water.

"Ugh... What the hell was that?" I grunted, picking Louise up. I checked if she had any injuries; slight cuts here and there, as well as our clothes being wet, but nothing serious. I rolled my shoulders, dulling down the pain; looks like I was able to absorb most of the damage. I took a brief look at my surroundings, and noticed a figure stepping out from behind the trees. A tall, blonde noble wearing something akin to a king's robe. His moustache reminded me greatly of Wardes for some reason. His wand, which was actually a cane with an emerald as the handle, was held high. He had an expression of rage mixed with grief and shame. As he approached, the pulsing in my arm became heavier. I put my left hand over it, willing down the pulse.

"F-Father..." said Louise. Whoa, so he's the duke of the Valliére family? He looks a lot scruffier than I thought...

"I wasn't sure if my servants were seeing things, but it's good that I decided to follow you, commoner. Jumping across trees is not a feat a normal human could accomplish. What are you, and how dare you lay your filthy paws on my daughter?" roared Louise's father. Louise flinched at his voice. So I did end up leading him to her! Man, I need to watch my surroundings more often... Oh well, no use in hiding now.

"So, you're the big cheese." I said as a fact rather than a question. I withdrew Delfringer, stabbed him into the ground and leaned lazily against him. The duke's eyebrow twitched, and I swore I could have heard a squeal of fright come from Louise. The duke's eyes drifted towards my left hand, the Gandalf runes shining brightly.

"You must be the familiar that I have heard my daughter summoned. I've heard a lot about you; you captured Fouquet, have slain Wardes, and have remarkable swordsmanship... There was even a rumour of the _commoner_ who learned how to use magic." He said, sneering. I put my arms up in a 'so what' gesture.

"And? Do you have anything to say about it, or are you here to give us your blessing?" he growled in response.

"Don't think that you're going to get anything but my rage, filthy maggot! After what you did to my daughter, you'll be lucky to leave these grounds alive!" He slammed his cane into the ground to emphasize his words. I scratched my head in annoyance.

"Oh for crying out... Just once I would like to catch a break! Why is everyone so keen on getting beat down by me all the time? First it was the obnoxious Blondie, then it was a hooded greenie, then it was the cocky fiancée, then it was a Final Fantasy rip off, now the big cheese! You would think that with the things I've done, people would at least take me a little more seriously!" I sighed, pulling Delfringer out of the ground. I took a casual fighting stance.

"Michael, what are you doing?" Louise whispered low enough for only me to hear. I ignored her. The duke gave off a low growl, his expression darkening. Before I could continue my extensive humour and mocking, he spoke.

"A joker... I hate jokers." Footsteps followed, and soon, the duke was surrounded by at least 20 of his servants.

"Forgive me for arriving late My Lord." said one of the servants. The duke's expression changed.

"It is alright Jerome, you could not have come at a better time. Seize Louise and confine her in the tower. Make sure she stays with something much sturdier than chains. As for the commoner, bring him to the torture chamber! I'm going to teach this arrogant, foul mouthed brat some manners!" commanded the duke. He pointed his cane towards the ground, causing a giant wall of dirt to rise from the ground, trapping us in a titanic circle. I grunted in annoyance.

"Yes my Lord, it shall be done!" replied Jerome. All the servants around the duke slowly began to approach me. I better finish this fast. I'm strong, but I can't see everywhere at once.

"Well then, lets get this party started!" I announced. At my last words, I sheathed Delfringer and dashed at the group of servants in one full second. The servants hesitated at my speedy approach, a costly mistake on their part. I smashed the nearest servant's gut with a left hook. The servant let out a choked cry of pain, and I put him out of his misery by smashing his jaw with a right straight. A sickening crack filled the air as the unfortunate, nameless servant crashed into the servants behind him at an inhuman speed. Taking advantage of their bewilderment, I spun, smashing my left heel into the heads of several servants around me, knocking them out. I crouched low and pounced up like a cat, thrusting my knee into another servant's face. As he fell, I grabbed him by the collar with my demon arm, spun him around like a lasso, and pitched him at the baffled servants with demonic strength. Some of them jumped out of the way, the rest were tossed to the ground like a group of bowling pins.

"W-Who the hell is this guy? He's a monster!" cried out one of the servants in fear. The words of the nameless servant finally broke the group out of their trance, making them spread out like wild sheep. As they spread out, I grabbed the servant closest to me by the collar. He shrieked in fright, desperately trying to pry away from my grip. I grinned, held him with both hands and began spinning my whole body like a tornado. The servant in my hands shouted helplessly as I threw him across the floor like a missile, pounced after him and rode him like a skateboard.

I shouted with delight as I body surfed the servant, who was sputtering from pain and dust. As I pursued after the fleeing servants, I withdrew Delfringer, untied about 1/3 of his scarf and spun him over my head, blunt edge out, smacking any helpless servants who just happened to be in the way. I stopped spinning Del as I began to slow down, and jumped off the servant as he rolled to a slow stop, completely unconscious.

I landed gracefully on my feet, pulled Delfringer back and wrapped his scarf as fast as an engine could turn. I sheathed him, then quickly took my Taekwondo fighting stance. I gestured the remaining ten servants to come forward. Out of fear, one servant charged at me, flailing his arms blindly. I grabbed his wrist in response. As the servant reached out to me with his other arm, I kicked him in the gut, making him double over. Then in one fluid motion, I flipped over him, wrapped his arm around his neck in a choke hold, planted my feet into his back and threw my weight backwards. As we fell the ground, I used the momentum of my fall to propel him over me, using my legs as springs. I jumped back onto my feet in time as three other servants charged at me, finally ready to attack. I grinned arrogantly again.

"Good to see you're finally stepping it up! Lets see if that old man Osfrid taught you anything!"

The servants encircled me, then charged. I coiled my legs in response and jumped into the air, making them stumble over their feet to stop from crashing into each other. As I reached the peak of my jump, I spun, and brought down my heel in a strong axe kick, striking the shoulder of the servant in front of me. As he stumbled back, the other servant behind me tried to punch me. I quickly parried it with my palms. I then pulled his arm over my shoulder, shifted my weight, and threw him into the ground, stomping on his face for good measure. I heard footsteps behind me, and lifted up the unconscious body as a shield, causing the servant to stop in hesitation. I dropped the unconscious servant, dashed forward and slammed my elbow into the confused servant's gut, making him double over. I knocked him back up with a swift uppercut to his chin, and then Sparta kicked him to the ground.

I took a breath, letting the adrenaline subside. The remaining six servants backed off in fear as I slowly inched my way towards them.

"J-Just what the devil are you?" One of them cried out. I laughed at his ignorant pun.

"Come on, are we done warming up yet? I've fought Academy students who did a better job of holding their ground! As servants of the Vallière family, you should be ashamed-" I started, but was cut off as I flipped away from an explosion at my feet. The servants cowered at the explosion, probably knowing who did it.

"You are all useless! How dare you let this... lecherous scum play around with you like dolls!" roared Louise's father. They knelt down in fear.

"O-Our deepest apologies Lord! Please forgive us!" they said in unison. The duke let out a loud 'Hmph'.

"Take the others back to the castle. I will deal with this petty scum myself." growled The duke. He stepped forward, his footsteps heavy with pride. I frowned.

"Do we really have to fight? I mean, I save your daughter's life like, five times, defend her against all adversaries, protect her without hesitation... Don't you think I deserve one kiss? I mean, its not like I took her virginity or something! Its not even her first kiss!" I sighed. The duke ignored my humour.

"Faithful you may be, but blind loyalty such as yours and my daughter's to the Queen can lead one to make mistakes. Do you think your deeds make you some sort of hero? I won't allow my daughter to fall down a path that will only lead her to destruction!" He shouted. My frown turned into anger, and my right arm pulsed again.

"You're the same as Wardes. I've never cared about loyalty, and I don't remember calling myself a hero."

"Then why do you fight? Do you think you can win?" The duke replied. I growled. I involuntarily thought about the day I fought Wardes. Oh yeah, they were the same.

"I don't fight because I think I can win, I fight because I have to win!" I took my stance, the pulsing in my arm becoming heavier.

"If an enemy stands before me... I will destroy them!"

There was no more need for words. Louise's father brandished his cane, and I sprinted forward, roaring with the might of a Lion. Seeing my speed, the duke drove his cane into the ground, transforming the circular wall that surrounded us into an uncountable amount of worms of dirt as thick as fully grown Oak trees. They dove at me, moving in rapid patterns of spirals and zigzags. Reacting quickly, I jumped onto one of the worms, running across its body. The other worms tried to attack me, but I simply jumped onto them and cut them down as they passed. Dirt splattered on my face as I attacked, my breathing strong and controlled. I let my instincts take control, ignoring the smell of mud, the adrenaline that pumped through my veins, and the voices of Louise and her father.

"_**I'll cover your blind spot! Focus on getting close for now!" **_Advised Illimité. I nodded.

The worms attacked from everywhere. They struck from behind, they launched themselves from under me, they even destroyed the worms that I ran across. However, because of my Gandalf speed and Illimité covering my back, they didn't come close to touching me.

"Let's pick up the pace! We won't get anywhere if we keep dodging!" shouted Delfringer.

"_**I'm sending my magic power into your legs; use Shunpo!" **_I grinned.

"I like the way you think Illimité!" I proceeded to change my approach, I used Shunpo, teleporting off the worms Dragonball Z style, avoiding every attack they threw at me. I could see from the corner of my eye the duke was becoming increasingly annoyed. He lifted up his cane, firing a rapid series of wind spells, trying to hit me. If it weren't for the Gandalf's speed and Illimité's magic, he could have gotten me on more than one occasion.

"Is this all you can do? Run?" Shouted the duke angrily.

"Well then, let's see how you like this!" I shouted back. I jumped between worms again, circling the duke with Shunpo. I pushed my speed to the limit, straining my body as I went faster and faster, creating after images. The duke's head darted back and forth, trying to follow my frame. As I circled him, I Shunpo'd to his blind spot, slashed him with Delfringer, retreated, then repeated the process. Much to my surprise, he instinctively moved at the touch of my blade, avoiding any lethal attacks.

Sweat poured down my face as I tried desperately to maintain me speed. Crap, I'm using too much power. I need to finish this, now!

I untied Delfringer's scarf, and threw him straight at the duke. The unique attack however was not enough. He was instantly shielded by one of the worms, and I pulled Delfringer back, using Shunpo to get behind him. I swung Delfringer.

As my swing approached closer to the duke, he lifted his staff again, creating a storm of fire around the frame of the giant earth worm. The fire raced across it's body, setting every other worm on fire as well. I Shunpo'd backwards with haste, avoiding the nigh instant flames.

"Damn, I can't get close!" I growled angrily.

"_**Don't give up, we just need to find an opening."**_

"Easier said than done." replied Delfringer.

"Give it up, this is where you die." shouted the duke. My expression hardened, and I heard the duke chant, commanding his worms. I retreated, putting as much distance between us as possible. Unfortunately, instead of firing a spell like I thought he would, the flame worms surrounded me, covering me from every possible angle.

The heat was insane. It was as if I was in a furnace, the temperature rising at a rapid rate. Sweat drenched my tunic, as I tried to control my rapid breathing, the CO2 from the fire choking my lungs. I felt my fight arm pulse again, and I clenched my fist. Should I risk using my arm?

"Michael! Please, I'm begging you, run! You're going to get killed!" I heard Louise plea from afar, her voice choked with tears. Her words broke me out of my trance. I had to use it. If I don't, I won't be able to protect Louise, much less myself. I stood up confidently, staring deep into the flames.

"Louise... just believe in me for once!" I yelled back at her. Whatever words Louise shouted after were drowned out by the worms. They struck like serpents, the flames surrounding their bodies raining off them like meteors. The world ignited as I took off the glove covering my right hand. The pulsing became stronger, and I thrust my fist forward.

"I made a promise that I would protect you no matter what happens! I won't give up; Not here, not now, _NOT EVER!_"

There was an explosion. A burst of power within me followed, and the flames from the explosion swirled around my demon arm, the azure light underneath shining bright. I opened my fist, and the flames were sucked into the cracks on my arm. The energy then burst out in a shock wave, and the fire within pulled away, creating a phantom version of my demon arm. The phantom arm, which was a duplicate made of light blue fire, was much larger my own and floated over my real arm. As I moved my arm, the phantom copied my movements; just like in Devil May Cry 4.

"W-What madness is this? You mean the rumours were true?" roared the duke in a confused awe. I turned to him, and on reaction the Duke lifted up his wand, summoning another earth worm to attack me. As the worm was right on top of me, I performed a grabbing motion. The phantom arm then suddenly expanded to compensate the worm's size, copied my movements, and grabbed the earth worm right out of the air. I grinned, and with a loud roar, I heaved the earth worm out of the ground, spun it over my head to gain momentum, and slammed the worm down like a whip. The duke lifted up his wand in response, and muttering a quick spell, created a whirlwind around him, shielding him from the oncoming attack. The worm spun out of control as it ran into the whirlwind shield, flopping to the ground with an earth shattering _boom!_ The worm exploded, and dust filled the air. When the dust cleared, I saw the duke limp out of the remains, cuts and scrapes all over his body.

"How is this possible? You had more power hidden within you? What are you?" The duke demanded. I slowly walked forward.

"When Louise almost died, something inside me changed... I kept telling myself... Power! I need. more. Power!"

"What are you talking about?" shouted the duke in confusion.

"But one day... I heard a voice echo in my head. Fear begets anger; anger becomes strength! Let your rage flow… embrace it, accept it, and become stronger! I accepted, and he granted my wish. He unlocked my ability to use magic, and gave me this arm!"__I lifted up my demonic arm, showing it to the duke. He scowled, standing straight.

"You mean to say you would sacrifice your own humanity just to gain power? I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that you were no good; as if I'm going to let you lead my daughter astray...yes, that demonic growth is proof of that!" he spat. To his surprise, I laughed, hard and loud.

"Humanity...? I don't care about what happens to me! If I become a demon, so be it! As long as I have the strength and the will to protect the ones I love, I'll do anything!"__The Gandalf runes and my demonic arm shined brightly, reacting to my emotions. An aura of azure demonic energy swirled around me, creating a dust storm. I gripped Delfringer tightly, taking a fighting crouch. The energy intensified.

"My name is Michael. I am the Familiar of Zero, the Familiar of Louise! I am... The Azure Knight!"

The duke's expression hardened. He then held up his cane, forming icicles behind him; a water spell. He fired.

"That won't work!" I shouted, lifting up my phantom arm. My demon arm pulsed, releasing a shock wave. As the icicles approached me, they broke down as they came closer, changing into a pure form of magic energy. My demon arm absorbed it, making my phantom arm shine brighter and stronger. The duke's eye's narrowed, and he fired more spells.

"I thought I told you that this was useless!" I shouted, but the duke kept firing. My arm absorbed all the magic he threw at me, and I was beginning to wonder if he was losing his mind.

It happened all so fast. Something inside me burst. I let out a choked cry of pain, and the duke stopped firing spells. I felt my power waver, my phantom arm fading away. I fell on one knee, clutching my right shoulder. I could hear Delfringer and Louise's voice, but none of their words registered. The entire right side of my back felt like it was hit by lightning cloud!

"What the hell did you do?" I grunted in pain. I looked over my shoulder, my eyes widening with surprise and disgust. Although I couldn't see my whole back, it didn't take much for me to figure out what was wrong.

The skin was gone, and my muscles were exposed and torn.

The pain came back so suddenly. A wave on agony burst through my entire being as I roared, leaning forward as I tried to relieve the pain. In a daze, I heard footsteps.

"Michael! Are you alright?" called out Louise, crouching next to me. She took one look at my wound, and her face turned death pale. She threw up. I turned my wound away from her, cursing at myself. When she finished, she looked into my eyes worriedly. I was about to say something, but her gaze shifted elsewhere. With a pained gaze, I followed.

"You have incredible talent. To be able to control such sinful flames, you have truly gained the devil's power. However, your body is still human!" announced the duke.

"What are you talking about?" I grunted. He didn't look surprised at my words.

"Let me tell you something boy. Magic is an energy source that flows within our bodies. It is the same as any other source. Just as we can only breathe so much and live so long, our bodies can only take so much magical energy. If the body takes too much, it begins to destroy itself! This boy, is why you cannot defeat me; you are ignorant when it comes to your own power!"

When I didn't respond, the duke lifted up his cane, and a whirlwind combined with rocks from the earth formed around the emerald jewel.

"Now you shall pay the price for your ignorance with death!"

"No, I won't let you!" shouted Louise. In defiance, she stood in front of me, arms spread apart, wand out. The duke frowned, and the spell around his cane wavered.

"Louise, I won't say this twice; I command you to move!" Louise didn't say anything, and while I couldn't see her expression, she stood tall despite her shaking legs.

"No." The duke eyed her warily.

"What?" He replied.

"No, I won't move. I've always been a coward, hiding under a mask of fake confidence... But I refuse to run away again! I won't deny my feelings anymore! I love him Father! If you want to kill him, you're going to have to kill me too!"

"No Louise... Don't do it!" I pleaded. She turned her head, her eyes stained with tears, but her expression strong.

"You always protected me Michael, and when you first fought with Wardes, I made a promise that I would improve my magic somehow... I intend to keep that promise. I'll protect you this time! Please believe in me!" she declared. The duke's expression changed, his eyes full of sorrow.

"So you've fallen too far to be saved... I didn't want to let it come to this, but it seems you leave me no choice." He closed his eyes for a long time, as if waiting for Louise to change her answer. When neither Louise or I replied, he opened his eyes again.

"Windi, Yn Soru Eran Grevia!" The tornado around the duke's emerald cane intensified, as if to warn Louise to get away. She stood strong, and I tried to stand but the pain was too much.

"Louise!"__I shouted as the duke finally fired his spell. The world was cast into slow motion as I tried to stand, mustering all the strength I had left. The spell was right on top of up; Louise flinched, holding out her wand...

"Haelus Yara Deteo Isu!" Louise shouted, her eyes still closed. The spell changed direction, as if hitting an invisible shield, then burst into sparks. The duke's expression, as well as mine, became plastered with shock and awe. When did she learn how to control Void magic?

"That was dispel! Louise... you learned how to control your Void magic?" I shouted involuntarily. The duke's eyes darted towards me with disbelief.

"Impossible... Louise, your affinity is Void?" Cried the duke in shock. Louise flinched.

"I-I don't know why... I just suddenly remembered it! It was the only way to stop it! I didn't know what else to do!" She shouted. The duke then shook his head, breaking out of his trance.

"This is impossible... are you saying the real reason the Queen needs you is because your real element is void, and not fire?" Said the duke, connecting the dots. Louise nodded hesitantly.

"Yes Father... It is. This is why I need to go. I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Louise shouted. She pointed her wand to the floor, shutting her eyes. "Explosion!" She shouted, and just like that, an explosion akin to every other failed spell Louise caused followed. The ground then shook, and I felt the ground rising. As I clenched my shoulder in pain, desperately trying to keep my balance, we rose high above the smoke. I looked down, seeing a rock golem. What the hell? Louise can use earth magic too?

"What's going on?" Shouted Louise, just as surprised as I was. So this wasn't her spell. If it isn't her, who was it? Before Louise and I could do anything else, the golem gently picked Louise and I off its head with its hand. I did my best to avoid letting the golem touch my back, letting him hold Louise and I by the waist down.

To Louise and I's shock, the golem jumped forward, leaping over the giant trees. We screamed in surprised terror as we soared high through the air, the scenery below us becoming smaller and smaller. The pull of gravity then came, and I gripped Louise tightly as we fell back to the ground with an echoing _**boom! **_The golem continued jumping until we reached the bridge that leaves the Mansion. In a daze, I looked down below, seeing a carriage and a tiny frame of a person waving their hand.

"Miss Valliére! Michael!" I heard Siesta shout. I turned towards the mansion, trying to find the mage responsible. If this golem was here to help us, then it must be Cattleya. I highly doubt Eleanor and the Duchess would do the same. Before I could continue my search, the golem gently placed Louise and I down to the ground, and crumbled to dust. I fell on my knees in pain, gripping my shoulder. For some reason, it didn't hurt as much as before. It didn't take long before I heard a scream from Siesta.

"M-Michael... Your back, and... that arm! What happened to you?" Siesta panicked. I turned to Louise, who to my surprise was shocked as well.

"Michael... your wounds are closing!"

"What?" I replied.

"_**Do not worry Michael, I am merely accelerating your Gandalf healing ability with my own power. It may take some time, but your wounds will heal."**_I grunted in response.

"Michael? Are you all right?" Siesta and Louise asked again. I shook my head.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. We need to get out of here."

Louise and Siesta gave me unsure looks, but nodded anyway. Louise bent down to help me up. As we stood, I noticed Siesta shuffle back ever so slightly, her eyes drowned in an unintentional fear.

"Siesta, I know you're probably wondering what happened, and I'm sorry I kept it all a secret from you. I'll tell you everything, but right now, I need you to get us out of here." Siesta broke out of her trance, her eyes moving from my arm to my face. She nodded dumbly, giving her head a good shake. I smiled slightly.

"Alright then... Let's go home."


	31. In the eyes of a Noble

Change My Destiny 31 In the eyes of a Noble

"Agnes, I know I've said this again and again but... damn, you need to introduce me to the guy who made this armour. It's so cool!"

"I'll make sure that he knows you like it, he put a lot of effort into it."

Whatever comments Agnes made after were drowned out by the pure admiration for my new armour. The body of the armour was composed of the finest leather hide. The pieces, resembling dragon scales overlapped each other, were nailed in place along the back and side. On the front of the breastplate, small buckles and belts kept it on my like a jacket. Nailed to the hips of the breastplate was a leather tasset. Fit to my shape, the tasset had been fully customized, the outer parts of my armour curving inward for maximum flexibility. Coupled with the armour was a pair of boots made out of the same material. I caressed the hidden blade on my left forearm, which had been repaired and upgraded. The old arm guard was worn out from constant abuse.

"Alright, lets continue." I replied. Agnes proceeded to buckle Delfringer around my waist. When she finished, we walked towards the door.

"Are you absolutely sure about doing this Michael? Revealing your arm I mean." asked Delfringer, popping out of his sheathe. I shrugged my shoulders in response.

"Absolutely. I'm proud of this power, there's no need to keep it a secret. Besides, that will just make things more complicated."

"Very well." said Agnes. She opened the door. As we entered the main sanctuary of the Chapel, I took the time to take a quick look around. The ceiling, which greatly reminded me of the Roman Catholic Chapels I've studied in World Religions on Earth, rose at least three stories high in the air. On the back wall, a stained glass of whom I guessed was Brimir loomed over the entire Chapel. It was quite interesting to see the man himself. According to the stain glass, he had long, brown hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were depicted as grass green, and his skin was creamy white. The stained glass had him holding a long staff similar to Colbert's, with robes fitting for the highest class of Magi. Prying my eyes away from the strangely enchanting glass, I looked to my left and right. Nobles of all shapes, sizes and I'm guessing ranks filled up nine rows of benches, all of them eagerly looking at the commoner who was to become a Noble. I almost froze as I noticed Colbert, Louise and her family sitting in the front row. Cattleya waved at me, smiling. Eleanor, the Duchess and the Duke simply stared with blank faces. Agnes nudged me as I stared, whispering "Focus. We'll deal with them later."

In the middle aisle, several Knights stood in two single file lines, holding up flags with Henrietta's insignia on it. On the walls around me, paintings of various scenarios were nailed on the wall. Some were about war. Others had beautifully dressed Nobles, male and female. I noticed one of the Noble paintings looked like a spitting image of Henrietta. However, the one in the picture looked older and more mature, with the wrinkles and everything. Was that her mother?

My attention shifted when the entire Chapel filled itself with gasps and shouts of fear and surprise. I took a quick gaze around the Chapel, noticing that a few Nobles had fainted. Others were frozen in fear, and a few others stood up. The Nobles began shouting amongst themselves.

"A demon, it's a demon!" one shouted.

"What is that... thing?!" shouted another.

"Spawn of evil, be gone from this holy place!" I was about to open my mouth in response, but an echoing _slam!_ from the front of the Chapel shifted everyone's attention forward. I cast my gaze forward as well, seeing Henrietta standing behind a Podium, with a wooden hammer in hand.

"Order! This is a holy knighting ceremony. Whether he is a demon or a human, I have deemed him to be worthy enough for the title of Chevalier. If there are any who wish to question my authority, I demand that you step forward!" shouted Henrietta. The crowd silenced themselves immediately. The Nobles cast their gaze around, as if expecting their neighbour to answer for them.

It wasn't until I walked up to the Podium with Agnes that one of them stood up in challenge.

"My Queen, while I do not question your authority, would it be possible to perhaps test this _commoner_? If he is truly capable as you say, it would be an honour for me if you would let me face him in battle." said an all too familiar voice. I turned to the audience, seeing Eleanor stand tall and proud. Henrietta turned to her.

"If you wish to test his abilities, you will do so after the ceremony during the celebration. Is that acceptable, Eleanor de la Valliére?" replied Henrietta. Well, looks like I'll get that promised rematch after all. Eleanor curtseyed.

"As you wish your highness."

After everyone seated themselves again, I kneeled before Henrietta, my head down low. Agnes stood to the side, and Henrietta drew the knighting sword at her side.

"Do you, Michael Diaz, Familiar of Louise La Blanc De La Vallière, swear by your name that you will protect the Queen and her ideals with your life?" Announced Henrietta.

"I swear, that in wealth and in poverty, and in health and in sickness, that I will use my power to protect the life and ideals of the beloved Queen." I heard gasps of surprise behind me at my declaration. Did I go over the top with that speech?

"Do you also swear, that as a Chevalier, you will protect the poor and helpless, speak only the truth, maintain compassion, and fight with honour?"

"I swear, that weariness and in fortitude, in fear and in bravery, that I will protect the poor and helpless, speak only the truth, maintain compassion, and fight with honour."

"And lastly, do you, as a Noble, vow to never betray Tristein, never associate with traitors willingly, and maintain your allegiance only with Tristein and its allies?"

"I swear."

"Then by the power vested in me, I, Henrietta de Tristein, dub thee Sir Michael Diaz, the title of Chevalier! Rise, and be known!" Henrietta then tapped the flat side of her sword on my right, then on my left shoulder. I stood from my kneeling position, and Agnes stepped forward, holding a piece of cloth wrapped like a bandana. On the center of the cloth, which was probably a cape, was Henrietta's insignia. Agnes whipped out the cape to straighten it, and folded it into a triangle. She then gestured me to turn. Confused but ready, Agnes buckled the cape on my right shoulder, effectively covering my entire right arm.

"This cape is a symbol of your loyalty to Tristein, its royalty and its people." Henrietta then turned from me to the crowd. "I now present you, Sir Michael Chevalier de la Diaz!"

In response, the crowd clapped. However, their faces betrayed their actions. I could see many of the Nobles in the back rows sneering and whispering from where I stood. Louise and co, as well as the other Academy students shifted their eyes between Louise and my arm.

"Such a hideous monstrosity..." whispered one of the nobles.

"What kind of curse was placed on him...?" replied another.

"To think that the Vallière's were housing such a thing…"

After the applause, everyone exited the Chapel in a single file line, one row at a time. Maids as well as Butlers guided the nobles out the doors. However, Henrietta, Agnes, Louise and her family stayed behind.

An uncomfortable silence followed.

"... So, are we going to head out as well?" I coughed, breaking the silence. Louise gave me another glare, which I ignored. Louise's father stood up and walked towards me, his expression calm and cool unlike the last time we met. Cattleya cast me a look of concern, but I decided to stand my ground. I really doubt he would cause I situation in front of her Majesty.

"So, you managed to join our ranks." Said the duke. I nodded my head.

"I intend to keep my promise… my Lord." I added.

_I made a promise that I would protect you no matter what happens! I won't give up; Not here, not now, __NOT EVER!_ My words echoed within my mind. The duke raised an eyebrow, while nodding slowly.

"I will accept that you have incredible skills with the sword. However, you are still a Chevalier. You will need to earn the respect and power you wish for." I nodded in response. Eleanor stood up then.

"While I understand this is important, we have other matters to attend to. Our duel." mentioned Eleanor. I nodded.

"I don't mind a duel, but am I fighting you or another one of your servants?" I asked. The Duchess replied this time.

"Of course you will be fighting one of our servants. Regardless of your skills, I will not have my daughter participate in such a duel. Is that acceptable your majesty?" Said the Duchess to Henrietta, her voice calm and collected as always. Eleanor said nothing to this; she probably didn't want to question her mother. The Duchess stood up with her daughters and moved to the Duke's side. Henrietta nodded, and we began walking towards the exit.

"Alright then. I'll try not to thrash your servant too badly. After what I did to them last time, they're bound to have some thought of me." I said as I closed the doors to the Sanctuary. Louise eyed me worriedly, and Henrietta smiled weakly.

"At any rate, I wish you luck Michael. May Brimir grant you his guidance." Henrietta took my hands as she spoke. Louise looked ready to protest, but held herself back. I was about to reply, when Henrietta let go.

"Now, please go on ahead. I have a few matters that I need to take care of."

Louise and I gave Henrietta a confused look, nodding dumbly in response. Henrietta nodded back, and with a brisk pace, walked out of the main hall.

"Shall we go then?" said Cattleya, breaking the silence with her cheerful voice. Eleanor smiled slightly, much to my surprise. The Duchess and Duke nodded, and headed towards the opposite direction Henrietta went.

"… Please go on ahead. Michael, I have something I must discuss with you." Said Louise out of the blue. Eleanor and the Duchess gave her a look, while the Duke shifted his gaze between Louise and I. After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes.

"Very well. Let us be off then. I have matters to discuss with the other nobles myself. Do not take too long Louise, you know how things are." replied the Duke. With a brisk pace, Louise's family left us in the hall, their footsteps echoing within the Chapel. When they were out of earshot, I sighed.

"Well, so much for that. What is it you wanted to ask?" I asked Louise, rubbing the back of my neck. I stretched a bit while waiting for a response. When Louise didn't respond, I turned to her. She was deep in thought, her eyes looking at nothing in particular. I put my face in front of hers.

"Partner, I'm no expert on women, but don't you think you should-" Delfringer started, but I cut him off, thrusting him back into his sheath.

"Hey, Tristein to Louise. Are you okay?" I asked her, breaking her out of her trance. Louise jumped in response, surprised at my sudden closeness.

"Huh? O-oh, no, it's nothing... I was just thinking."

"You must have been thinking pretty hard if you didn't hear me. Is something wrong?" I asked, concerned. She usually wasn't like this. If anything, when she's deep in thought, the issue is usually serious. I placed my right hand on her shoulder, making her flinch. I recoiled back on reaction.

"S-sorry." I stuttered, hiding my demon hand behind my cape. Damn, I need to be more careful. Louise nodded, her eyes deep in thought again.

"No, I should be the one who's sorry."

"If you're afraid of this, I'm not surprised. Well, not really, but you know me." I replied sheepishly. However, it wasn't enough to suppress the pain. Of course she would be afraid, something as alien as this... Louise shook her head, and took my demon hand with both her hands, staring at it intently. It was strange really. Even though Louise held my hand, I couldn't feel any trace of warmth. I could feel the pressure... but not warmth. I don't even think I could feel the texture.

"No, I shouldn't be afraid. You wanted to become stronger didn't you? Always training every day, doing reckless things, being stupid and disobeying your master..." she chuckled at the end, suppressing a sob. Her shoulders started to shake.

"I know. I know you're doing all this for me. I'm eternally grateful for what you've done... but... but I'm still afraid!" she looked up at me, her eyes drenched in tears. She let go of my arm, and tackled me with a bear hug.

"When you were fighting my father, you said that you didn't care if you became a demon. Well, I care you stupid, selfish dog! What's wrong with you?! Always chasing after power, always risking your life for my sake... What about me? What am I supposed to do if you do become a demon? What am I supposed to do if you become something that you're not?!" she sobbed violently. Unsure of what to do, I embraced her. Louise strengthened her grip.

"Please... stop being so reckless... You're going down a path that I can't follow! If I can't stand beside you, I won't know what to do anymore..." Louise's voice softened, her grip becoming weaker. Is what she said true? Was I really just being selfish? Although, there was no denying she is right, in one way or another. I hadn't considered what would happen to her. I always thought that if I could protect her, things would turn out okay. She would be safe, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm sorry Louise." I whispered, unsure of what to say. She lifted her head off my chest, and stared straight into my eyes.

"As your Master, I order you not to do anything that will risk your services to me. I won't let you leave my side. Got that, you self centered, reckless dog?" I smiled, wiping away her tears with my left.

"Yes Master." I replied with a slight sarcastic edge. She slapped my shoulder in response, and I laughed, pulling her into another hug. She complied, wrapping her arms around me again.

"Well, I suppose we should get going. I don't want to be late for my duel, that wouldn't leave a good impression." I said after a few moments of silence. Louise nodded her head, and reluctantly let go. I held her hand, and she smiled.

Louise and I left the Chapel, and walked to the back courtyard, wondering what we should do first. I let go of Louise's hand as we entered, ignoring the disgusted looks of the nobles as we walked past. The courtyard, which was a vast grassland within a large wooden fence, had various decorations put up, including flags, statues, fountains and flowerbeds. At the center of the courtyard, I saw several Knights, Butlers and Maids helping set up for what looked like an arena. The Butlers and Maids placed square, stone tablets evenly across the floor, spanning about 50 feet in length and width. The knights, some of who were mages, sealed the stone tablets into the ground to prevent them from moving.

"So, this is where I will be fighting?" I asked one of the knights as Louise and I approached. The knight straightened his back, saluting to me briefly.

"Yes sir. Your opponent has not yet arrived, but he will be here soon. Preparations are also almost complete, so please have a seat while we finish." I nodded in response, ushering Louise to hurry up and sit at a table. We sat down right next to the arena. Knowing Louise, she would probably want to sit as close as possible so that she could save my ass at the slightest possible danger. Ah well, I don't mind. Now that I think about it…

"Say Louise, hasn't your magic been improving lately?" I whispered to Louise as we were served tea. Louise hesitantly nodded.

"Yes. I was trying it out a few days ago, when you left with Agnes for preparations for your ceremony. Spells that caused explosions before now actually work! With this, I can really get somewhere!" Louise whispered gleefully. I smiled in response.

"That's great, now you really aren't Louise the Zero anymore. Congratulations!" I laughed, lifting up my tea cup. Louise did the same, and we tapped our cups together in celebration, and drank. Footsteps filled the air as I drank, and I hastily put my cup down as a pair of hands slammed on the table.

"Louise! Darling! I believe you have some explaining to do!" said Kirche, her actions as flaunting as ever. Tabitha trotted behind her, curiously examining my demon hand. Kirche then gave Louise a light glare, which Louise ignored.

"Kirche?! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" I asked.

"Oh please, don't worry about that! But anyway darling! How come you kept this from me? I can keep a secret!" she whined with puppy dog eyes, staring intently at my demon arm. Kirche pulled a chair beside me, sitting down and crushing my left arm against her insane bust. I put my tea cup down and sighed. To be honest, she was the last person I would tell about something like this. With her personality, the whole country would probably know about it in less than a week. Two people can keep a secret… if one of them is dead. But I can't say that now can I?

"Dangerous power... Nobles could abuse it." said Tabitha, taking a closer look at my arm. I lifted it up for her to see. Now, I'm no expert on stoic people, but I think that's probably the longest sentence that Tabitha has ever said to me. I nodded in response.

"Kirche, Tabitha's right. I didn't tell you simply because this power is definitely something that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands. You saw how everyone reacted during the ceremony. They all called me a demon. I won't deny that this power is as alien as far as alien gets, but if I revealed it earlier I don't think I would have been able to handle it. I treasure my friendship with you all, and I didn't want to sabotage it." Kirche let out a squeal.

"Ah, you were concerned about me darling?! I'm so happy to hear that! But don't worry, this is just an arm! It's not like it changed your brain or anything right? You're still you no matter what!" she squealed. Tabitha nodded, and I felt a wave of relief.

"You're actually able to showing compassion Kirche? I'm surprised, if it were anyone else you would have run with your tail between your legs." Said Louise. She sipped at her tea as Kirche glared at her.

"Hmph, of course I would give darling special treatment! Not only is he an accomplished swordsman, but he also learned how to use magic and even became a noble! Surely darling with become a legend if this keeps up!"

"Ah, so you're only sticking to him because of your selfish wants and needs? Typical of a broad like you."

Before things could get out of hand, the sound of someone running shifted out attention. It was Agnes. As I cast my glance towards the other nobles, Agnes' gunpowder squadron had moved to several other tables.

"Agnes? What's going on?" I asked. Louise nodded in response, and Agnes shook her head.

"We have a situation. Your celebration will be cut short."

"I don't really care about the celebration, but you still didn't answer my question." I said firmly. Agnes gave me a grave look, her expression darkening.

"The magic academy was taken by a group of three mercenaries, and they're looking for you."


	32. The Return II

Change my Destiny 32: The Return II

_**Tristein Magic academy Skies, 5AM. Transport Boat The Red Wyvern**_

"It's almost time." said Dorian to the cold, night air. As he looked down below the deck, he sensed a presence on the sail above him. A familiar presence; one of his allies.

"What do you want, King?" muttered Dorian. The man, hanging upside down, swiftly flipped right side up and landed on the wooden floor with the silence of a cat. King stood an even 6 feet tall, his faceless white mask glowing in the moonlight. On his mask Dorian saw a green X on his left, dominant eye. He wore a leather curiass, and under it a dark blue long sleeved shirt. On his right hand was an archery glove. His brown leather pants were simple and greatly contrasted with his greaves, which were made of dragon skin. On his back was a Quiver that could store up to 50 arrows, and a long recurve bow rested on his left shoulder. At his side was a short sword for close combat.

"Oh my, is that how you greet your comrade in arms? What happened to the informality we had between us as acolytes? Surely you don't believe that I would come here without reason. As the King of Arrows, the sky is where I belong... as well as where I skewer my targets below." said the man Dorian called King. Code named King of Arrows, Dorian and King were trained together by Astor, as well as another. However, Dorian did not know his true name, nor did King know his. Dorian grunted as King flitted beside him, placing an arm around his shoulder. King's speed was always remarkable. He was even faster than Dorian.

"You sure that this plan is going to work, Jack? You know, luring out that kid you are always talking about?" asked King. Jack of Blades was Dorian's code name.

"He'll be here, I know him. He will definitely come, with or without help." said Dorian as another set of footsteps approached from behind.

"Well then, we'll just have to make sure we give him and whoever he brings a warm welcome." came a female voice from the figure. Queen of Magic, the third child who trained under Astor. The wood creaked as Queen ground her long staff into the floor. Queen was the newest and youngest of the group, joining them only several years earlier and has close ties with Astor. She wore a short sleeved navy blue tunic, with long white leggings. Her tunic was so short that just her bending over would expose her underwear, a typical strategy women could use against men. On her feet were a set of dragon greaves similar to King. Queen wore fingerless leather gloves on her hands, and her arms were wrapped in bandages up to her elbows. On top of her outfit was a long, dark blue hooded robe, her eyes hidden from view. Long brown hair spilled out of her hood from both sides, draping past her shoulders.

"Hey hey, Queen! What you doing up so early? Haven't you been listening to the rumours lately? Apparently, if you don't get enough beauty sleep, your face starts to get all wrinkly!" Laughed King as he flitted once again behind Queen. He seductively placed his hands on he shoulders, slowly feeling his way downward. He traced her well curved hips, and as he reached lower, Queen swung her staff, aiming for King's head. King vanished from our sights.

"Oh, come on Queen! I was only going to touch your butt!" laughed King as he hung upside from the sail above us, hands behind his head. Queen let out a loud, frustrated sigh.

"Foolish baboon. Do you think that we came here to play? This is our first mission. Don't screw it up!" she snarled. King squeaked, putting his hands together as if to pray.

"Oh, dear Brimir, has the ladyship Queen of Magic forsaken me?! Ah, woe is me!"

"That's enough. We came here to hold the school hostage, and kill only when necessary. You do understand that, don't you?" threatened Dorian. King sighed, flipping right side up with a monkey's grace.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. We set the traps, kidnap everyone at daylight and wait for that kid you always talk about." Dorian nodded. He donned on a blood stained white mask, and gripped the hilt of the halberd on his back.

"Are you sure you are up for this you two? This is going to be a battle that may very well be our last. It is not too late to turn back." warned Dorian. King merely laughed.

"Are you kidding? Getting a chance to fight the Black Beast comes once in a life time! Count me in."

"And I as well. I wish to prove myself to Master Astor." replied Queen. Dorian nodded, and the three jumped off the ship.

...

Michael POV

"I can see the school!" I shouted as Tabitha guided Sylphid. It had taken us some time to get to the castle. We would have gotten there faster, if Agnes' horses could move as fast as a flying dragon. Sylphid dived down, and I held onto his scales as Louise tightened her grip around my waist. Colbert and Kirche didn't seem to mind the dive. The wind rushed as we swooped to the ground, landing with a loud thud. I jumped off, rushing towards the gate.

"Michael, wait! There could be a trap!" shouted Colbert, but I ignored him. As I reached the large, oak doors, one of Agnes' subordinates ran up to me.

"You are the one known as Michael?" she asked. I nodded. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned, annoyed.

"Michael, whats wrong with you, you stubborn, hard headed dog! Are you trying to get yourself killed again?!" Shouted Louise.

"_**I agree. We must be cautious." **_Replied Illimité, but I waved her off.

"Please, I'm more powerful than I was back then. I can take him!" I shouted confidently. We would have continued our bickering, but Colbert cut me off.

"Michael, I understand your eagerness. However, it doesn't matter how much stronger you have become, not as long as they have hostages. We need a plan." I noticed Agnes come from behind the group, two of her other subordinates whispering into her ear.

"I agree. I have just received information about our situation. It has been confirmed that there are three mercenaries inside that are holding the student body hostage, as well as the teachers

One of them is an archer, calling himself "King of Arrows." The second is a mage, calling herself "Queen of Magic". So far, she has been reported to control Fire and Wind. The last one I am assuming is Dorian. However, we have witnesses who heard him being called "Jack of Blades" by King." said Agnes. I lowered my gaze to the floor. I should have expected more of them. After all, didn't Illimité say he was once apart of Brimir's guardian group?"

"Alright then, so whats the plan? All they want is me, I don't see what there is to do." Everyone was silent, hard at thought. After a few minutes, Colbert stepped forward.

"I have an idea, but it is going to take the power of each and every one of you." said Colbert seriously. This was the first time I've ever seen such an expression on his face. Most of the time he's always cheerful.

"It is something that I have been working on for quite a while. It's a non lethal explosive I call a smoke bomb. Long story short, its a bomb that creates a fog after igniting. We can use that to serve as a temporary distraction, while we rally up the hostages." said Colbert. Agnes shook her head.

"These are trained Mercenaries. Such tricks will be very unlikely to succeed." Louise also shook her head with doubt.

"Also, from what we know, they have a mage who can control wind. Wouldn't they just use magic to blow the fog away?" said Louise. I scratched my head in frustration.

"Lets go with it. I'm getting tired of waiting around. Besides, they're after me. I'll distract them while you guys get everyone else out of the building." Louise gave me a concerned look.

"If that's the plan, then lets get on with it! Don't worry darling, I'll make sure to watch your back." winked Kirche. Tabitha also nodded in approval. I gave them a thankful smile.

"Well then, its settled. Colbert, you go to your lab and get your smoke bombs. Michael, you are going to head inside and try to stall for time. Try to see exactly what it is they want, why they chose this place and whose orders they are under. Do you understand?" said Agnes. I nodded, and turned towards the door.

"Michael... Please be careful." Said Louise. I didn't turn, but instead waved my hand casually as I walked through the long, dark hallway. The world seemed to hush itself, the only sounds being my footsteps. As I reached the door at the end of the hall, Illimité stopped me.

"_**Michael, I am warning you right now. These three mercenaries are extremely powerful. Do not take them lightly."**_

"He's right Partner. For the mean time, you should try to avoid absorbing magic. Use me instead!" Said Delfringer. I nodded, and with a rough push, I burst inside, hand on Delfringer's hilt. The first thing I noticed was everyone was tied up. The student body, the teachers, hell even Julio managed to get captured. How the hell did he manage to get captured? Before anything else could happen, the entire hall was filled with shrieks of fright.

"Oh my God, his arm!" shouted one student. I did my best to ignore their stares, keeping my eyes on my opponents. The one with the blood stained mask simply slammed his halberd into the ground, and the entire hall became silenced.

"Ah, there you are. What took you so long?" Came a muffled voice from the mask. I took the chance to thoroughly examine each of the mercenaries. It wasn't had to guess who was who.

"So this is the kid you keep talking about Jack? Man, he is _a lot _smaller than I thought. And wow, that arm of his looks so cool!" laughed the Archer, the one whom I guessed was King. I withdrew Delfringer. A sudden sound drifted past my ears, and before I realized it, King was gone.

"Partner!" Shouted Delfringer.

"_**Behind you!" **_warned Illimité.

"Whoa now, no need to get hasty kid. I appreciate your eagerness, but you don't have the advantage here." said King beside me. He placed his arm on my shoulder, leaning.

"You...! Who taught you that?!" I growled, slashing at King. He vanished again with a familiar sound. It was a low pitched, wind slashing noise. A sound that can only be made when using Shunpo (Flash Step).

"What ever are you talking about? Do you mean to tell me that you can move as fast as me?" laughed King from behind me. I turned just in time to see King fire three arrows. They became blurs, racing towards me with blinding speed. I quickly used Shunpo to move out of the way and towards King as I attacked again. The girls around us shrieked with fright as my sword clashed with one that King pulled from his side.

"Wow, that's incredible! Yo Jack, you never told me this kid could use accelerate!" shouted King. Jack, or Dorian I guessed, simply shook his head. Queen silently observed us, showing no sign of movement.

"Be careful Partner!" Said Delfringer.

"If I weren't being careful, you telling to be careful, would not make me careful!" I shouted back at Delfringer.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing? Keep your eyes on me!" shouted King. The alarms in my head went off, and I nimbly back flipped as King expertly twisted his sword, almost breaking my grip on Delfringer. Damn, that was close. King sheathed his sword and started to clap his hands.

"Bravo, bravo! You are just as nimble as I had heard! And to boot, you can use Accelerate! Oh, this is going to be so exciting! I can't wait to see you at full power!" laughed King with an unrestrained glee. I growled.

"Is that what you came here for? To test me again?! I've had enough of your games! Where. Is. ASTOR?!" I roared at Dorian, turning. He simply shook his head.

"That is none of your concern. What matters is you." I raised my brow, opening my mouth to speak, but Queen cut me off.

"We don't have time to worry about that. It looks like we have more company." said Queen. Her mature, elegant voice rang in my ears, and for some strange reason, I could swear she sounded familiar... But I didn't have time to think about that. Something white entered my peripheral vision, turning my gaze upward. The room was filled with what looked like white, paper baseballs. I counted at least 20 of them, but there were definitely more. I could also hear the faint sound balloons make when being blown up with air. Were these the smoke bombs that Colbert mentioned? Queen readied her staff, but Jack cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Wait. Let's see what they'll do first-" said Dorian. As he finished his sentence, the paper balls exploded with a loud poof! I clenched my teeth, hoping that there would be enough time to keep them distracted. All of the female students cried out in surprise, and in less than three seconds, the entire hall was filled with a white fog, thick enough that I could only make out disfigured shapes of my surroundings. Footsteps filled the air as I raced towards the last known position of the students.

"Do not engage the enemy, the students take top priority!" yelled Colbert's voice. I slid across the floor to a halt as I neared the students, carefully cutting the binds as fast and as carefully as I could. The sounds of snapping rope caught my ears, and as I turned, I noticed a short figure with their wand up.

"Yes, I did it!" Shouted Louise. I couldn't help but smile, her magic was improving! Unfortunately for us, that smile was short lived. A storm of wind gushed through the entire room, making all of us fall off our feet. The smoke cleared with another piercing gust, as Queen swung her staff.

"Alright, that's more like it! Come on Gandalf, we aren't finished; Entertain me!" shouted King from above me. He fired three arrows at the same time, teleporting away as he fired. Engulfing my demon hand in a blue flame, I swiped away the arrows to protect the students.

"Everyone, get up and run! Don't look back!" I shouted, dashing towards King again. He withdrew his sword and we clashed head on, screams of fright and footsteps echoing around us. I saw Queen chanting from the corner of my eye, and Dorian was gone. Damn, I have to stop them!

"_**Watch your back!"**_

"I told you to keep your eyes on me!" Shouted King. He kneed me hard in the gut, making me double over. As I bent over, I used my fall to twist my entire boy and try to uppercut King. He back flipped away, and I shunpo'd towards Queen.

"I won't let you cast any spells!" I shouted, swinging Delfringer. Two explosions behind me caught my attention, but I kept my eyes forward, attacking Queen.

"Don't worry about the students and Dorian darling, we have them covered!" shouted Kirche from behind me. Another gust of wind filled the room, probably from Tabitha.

"Just focus on keeping them distracted for now!" Shouted Agnes. Her sword clashed with another, probably Dorian's. I grinned, swinging Delfringer at Queen again. She narrowly dodged the attack, stumbling backwards. I dashed in to attack again, but King got in between us.

"Not so fast, ya little punk!" laughed King. He swung his sword again, and I parried it to the side, using Shunpo to get away. King sheathed his sword and used Accelerate to zoom through the air, firing a rapid series of arrows with each teleport. I ducked, dodged, dipped, dived and dodged again as I avoided the arrows, trying to find an opening. As I dodged his arrows, Queen bombarded me with fireballs from a distance, covering King as he shot his arrows. More explosions and arrows followed, and I focused magic into Delfringer.

"_**King likes to keep his opponents below him. This gives him the perfect view for firing arrows! Get him on the ground somehow!" **_Advised Illimité. I nodded.

"I've had enough of your cheap, teleporting rip off! Blazing Fang!" I shouted at King. I fired my spell at Queen, who hit the ground with her staff. A wall of earth shielded her from the blast, but it gave me the opening I needed. I jumped into the air, intend on getting King on the ground.

"You're not getting away! Shinkuu... Hadoken!" I shouted, firing a concentrated beam of fire from my demon hand, swiping the entire area,. the back wall of the hall collapsing. King easily managed to accelerate away from it, but I finally had him where I wanted him; on the ground. I shunpo'd towards him as he landed, swinging Delfringer again. King only managed to pull his sword halfway out as he blocked, our swords clashing with another _clang!_

"Heh, no wonder Astor has such an interest in you! To think you would have all the skills Queen, Jack and I were taught by Astor, you really are worthy of the title Hollow Joker!" laughed King again. What is he talking about? Whatever it is, its starting to get on my nerves. As I opened my mouth to speak, Kirche's shrieks shifted my attention away. I turned my head towards them, seeing both Kirche and Agnes and Tabitha, their clothes torn and stained with blood. Dorian swung his sword towards the ground, removing the blood on it. Agnes took her stance.

"Kirche, Tabitha, Agnes!" I shouted. I shunpo'd towards them as Dorian swung his Halberd. I blocked the oncoming strike, standing strong.

"Hmm, I see your speed has much improved, as well as your combat skills." said Dorian nonchalantly. I tightened my grip on Delfringer as I twisted my body, redirecting Dorian's halberd to the side. I snapped my foot upwards, intent on kicking him in the head. Dorian blocked my strike, holding my ankle with an iron grip. I shouted in pain as he squeezed down, choking the life out of my ankle.

"However, your attack patterns are still too linear!" Dorian shouted. With inhuman strength, he tossed me into Agnes, sending us flying across the ground.

"He's a monster... A monster!" whispered Kirche in fright. Looking closer, she was incredibly shaken up. Even Tabitha, who gripped her staff so tight I was almost sure it would snap under her hands. Footsteps echoed again behind us, and I turned to face the three mercenaries. I stood in challenge.

"... Tabitha, get Kirche out of here." I said, turning my head towards her. She shook her head, but I waved her off.

"Please. I understand you want to help, but Kirche needs you more than I do right now. At the very least, get her out of here first, then come back to help. Make it quick alright?" I smiled at her. Her perfect poker face faltered for a split second, and she nodded. Picking up her friend, she slowly walked out before whispering, "Be careful."

"I got it." I replied. Tabitha rushed out, and Agnes stayed by my side. I eyed the cut on her left hand.

"So Agnes, what did you think of Dorian's fighting skills? You think you can fight with that wound?" I asked casually.

"He's incredibly strong, just as you described, and don't worry about this, its shallow. However, you never told me he had a halberd." Replied Agnes.

"I'm just as confused as you are. He never used that when we fought before." King bent forward, leaning on one of his knees as I spoke.

"So you two seriously plan on taking us all at once? You're either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Ah well, this will make things a lot more fun!" laughed King, knocking some arrows into his bow. I took my stance as Dorian readied himself, and Queen took a few steps back, staff ready to cast.

With a burst of inhuman speed, I shunpo'd at King, and Agnes dashed at Dorian. King Accelerated into the air, and Queen shot a fireball. I absorbed the fireball with my demon arm as I closed in on King, swinging Delfringer with charged magic.

"Blazing Fang!" I shouted. King dodged the spell, and to my surprise, Queen used wind magic to change its trajectory. My spell arced out of King's way, and exploded as it hit the ground harmlessly. Agnes' sword lashed out at Dorian, who kept his distance using dangerously preside thrusts with his halberd. The sound of arrows flying from my left filled my ears, and I shunpo'd backwards, scanning the skies. I rolled to the side as the ground beneath me crumbled, Queen eager to stop my movement. Dorian used his Muay Thai to knock Agnes away. He then unsheathed a short sword at his side, crying out "Hitobei!" I retaliated by absorbing it with my demon arm. The sound of Shunpo came from behind me, and as I turned I lifted up Delfringer to block King's sword. I charged up magic in my demon arm, and attempted to uppercut him. He back flipped away again, but as he recovered, I used the charged magic to manifest my phantom arm, and grabbed King with it.

"What the hell?!" King shouted in surprise.

"Burn to ashes!" I cried out, and my Phantom arm exploded with a blue fiery inferno. I could hear King's pained screams as I turned towards the other two. To my surprise they just stood there. Did they not feel anything about their comrade?

"Michael, _**watch out!**_" Shouted Agnes, Delfringer and Illimite. An arrow lodged itself into the ground at my feet and exploded, sending me flying. My ears rung as adrenaline pumped through my veins, the shrapnel of wood and rocks covering me with cuts. I flipped through the air as I recovered, sliding across the ground. Blood trailed down my head, and I wiped it away. King casually walked to Queen and Jack's side, not a single scratch on him. Agnes joined my side.

"Man, this is so much fun! To think that Sasha's descendant would grow this powerful! The Gandalf sure is something else." Laughed King. Sasha? Who was that?

"It doesn't matter now. We have you in our trap." said Queen.

"What are you talking about?!" I replied. Queen simply tapped her staff on the ground. The ground then lit up an ominous yellow, and her trap became very clear to me. The destruction that we caused had created some sort of alchemy circle in the ground, spanning two meters wide. And we were right in the middle of it.

"_**Be careful, its Liberation!"**_ Warned Illimité. "Agnes, move!" I shouted. I grabbed her by her collar, and with a violent throw, I tossed her just out of range.

"Partner, use me!" Shouted Delfringer. As I shielded myself with Delfringer, a pillar of light burst from the ground, consuming me. My entire vision was filled with a bright, yellow light, and I screeched in pain as my entire body was consumed in a blazing inferno of heat. My armour gave some protection, but it was not enough to stop the spell from slowly burning me to the very bone. The force of the spell pushed me into the air, lifting me higher and higher. Delfringer shook violently in my hands as he tried to absorb all the magic.

"Michael!" Agnes shouted with a choked cry. As I tried to hold onto Delfringer with all my might, the spell was too strong. It burst through my defence, my arms flying back as if I took the recoil from a magnum. Without Delfringer's protection, the full extent of the spell burst through me, burning my body to the very core. The pain was so much that I couldn't even scream, and everything started to turn black.

The pain was cut off as the sound of a spell was fired towards me. Something hit the yellow pillar, changing its colour to blue, and ultimately negating the spell. I fell to the ground with a loud _crash!_

"Michael, are you alright?!" Came Louise's voice from beside me. I weakly turned my head towards Louise, her eyes filled with tears as she helped me up. Tabitha was with her, and she waved her staff around me, using some sort of healing spell. The pain numbed itself, much to my relief. Another set of feet followed Tabitha's.

"Michael, I commend you fro your bravery, but deciding to fight these three on your own was just plain foolishness! Please, be more careful." Said Colbert. His voice was serious, his expression hard. For the first time in my life, I felt killer intent coming from Colbert. Queen stepped forward.

"It is good to see you are still healthy, fire snake. Or should I say... Captain?" said Queen. Colbert raised his brow. Queen sighed, and removed her hood.

The world froze. My body began to shake violently.

"What?! Avery?! It can't be you!? To think that you would join Astor..." shouted Colbert, not taking notice. Louise gave me a look of confusion, and I bolted at Queen, ignoring Louise and Tabitha's protests.

"I have been working for Astor long before I became your subordinate, Fire Snake. In fact-" she started, but I cut her off, swinging Delfringer with all my might. The others gasped at my sudden charge, and Queen's eyes widened as she blocked my strike.

"...Why?!" I shouted, choking back tears.

"What are you talking about?" Queen asked me, her eyes faltering. I sobbed, and I pushed forward with all my strength. Her face. Her voice. There was no denying it. They were the same.

"Why the hell are you here Amy?!"


	33. The Black Beast

Change my Destiny 33: The Black Beast

"Why?! Why the hell are you here Amy?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. Suppressed emotions resurfaced. The pain of her death, the love we used to share. It was too sudden, my mind being unable to control the waves of emotions. I took the time to look at her closely. Her face had matured, her hair had grown longer and her features had become more prominent.

And on her forehead, were shining letters from this world. Letters undeniably similar to my Gandalf markings. She was a void familiar as well. Amy's eyes shifted nervously to the side. After a moment, her eyes hardened.

"My name is Avery now. The Amy that you knew and loved died all those years ago." she declared, earning another set of gasps.

"Whoa, Queen, your real name is Amy? Or was it Avery? Still, you're pretty smokin' hot without your hood on!" laughed King. Jack said nothing, and Queen pushed me back with a sudden overwhelming strength. I skid back, plunging Delfringer into the ground to stop myself. As I pulled him out, ready to charge again, Someone grabbed me.

"Stop it! Let me go!" I shouted, not bothering to look back.

"Michael, calm down! Please, you're scaring me!" shouted Louise. I turned back to her, and my emotions suddenly stopped. Queen coughed.

As I was saying, I worked for Astor before I joined you. In fact, he was the one who ordered me to set up the purging of Danguteal, the village you burned to the ground without mercy..." Colbert gasped in shock, and I felt a sudden burst of killer intent from Agnes. I turned towards her, her expression filled with an uncontrollable rage.

"... Did you say Danguteal?" growled Agnes. Queen turned towards her.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot about you, the sole survivor of Danguteal. Yes, Colbert the infamous fire snake was the one who burned down your village. The scent of burning flesh, the countless cries and screams, the incredible sensation of fire edges away from your skin... It was truly a memorable night." said Queen, obviously trying to taunt Agnes. Agnes took the bait, shaking with an uncontrollable rage.

"Amy, what are you saying?!" I shouted, but she completely ignored me.

"For 20 years... 20 years I've searched for the one who burned my village! To think you were so close to me... Do you have anything to say for what you've done, you bastard!" roared Agnes. She grasped her sword with an iron grip, her entire body shaking violently. Colbert closed his eyes in reminisce.

"... I used to be apart of a special group of Magi called the Crimson Cross. Only the most powerful of magi were apart of it, taking orders directly from the higher ups. I was their Captain at the time. Young and naive, I followed any given orders without question. Be it killing men, women and children, or stealing information from our enemies through torture." said Colbert. Louise and I watched silently, wondering what to say. I noticed the look on Tabitha's face alter greatly, her poker face becoming anguished, as if she related to Colbert. Colbert opened his eyes again.

"However, that's wrong! Killing people is a sin, even in war! I realized this when I made the mistake of burning Danguteal down... We were given false information that Danguteal was infected with a plague, and at the order of Her Majesty's Court, we were told to destroy the village... I burned it down without a second thought." Louise covered her mouth in shock.

"As we watched the village burn, one of my comrades came up to me, explaining that they found nothing related to the plague. This was a great deal of shock to me, and I rushed into the village, intent on saving any survivors." Said Colbert. He then tore off the collar of his shirt, revealing a wide scar across his shoulders. Agnes gasped as she saw the scar.

"You may not remember me Agnes, but I never forgot about you. I found you amidst the rubble, decided to save you. I brought you to the King and had him abolish the Crimson Cross, as well as punish those who ordered the purging of Danguteal..." Colbert clenched his fist tightly.

"It was then I decided to never kill again. Never will I participate in a war, and never will I let those precious to me fall on the same path as I... but it seems I was unable to fully save you, Agnes. You have every right to kill me." said Colbert.

"Oh God, how much longer do we have to put up with this stupid sob story?! Can we just get on with the fighting please?!" shouted King, throwing his hands up melodramatically. Amy brandished her Staff, and Dorian raised his halberd. Colbert stepped forward.

"Leave them be! I shall be your opponent." said Colbert. I shook my head in response.

"Michael, be careful! You're still wounded!" said Louise.

"I'll be fine. Tabitha did some good medical work. Besides, I need some answers." I said, eyeing Amy warily. She stared back into my eyes, unwavering resolve hardening her expression. The markings on her forehead shined brightly as she gripped her staff. As I took my fighting stance, Tabitha stood beside me.

"I'll help too." She whispered. Agnes walked up to Colbert, her eyes hard with raw emotion. She slapped him.

"I won't forgive you for burning down my village. However, you saved me, gave me a home with the Princess, and for that I am grateful." She took her stance, facing the three mercenaries.

"We'll settle this after we deal with these three. I'll never forgive you for what you've done; in exchange, I'll take your arm. I'll even give you the liberty of choosing which one." Colbert shook his head.

"No, you shouldn't be fighting. You should all run and-" Colbert started, but I cut him off.

"Colbert, did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much? We'll settle this together, whether you like it or not!" Louise stood beside us.

"I'll help too! I won't be the same Louise the Zero forever!" Colbert took the time to look at each one of us, our expressions filled with resolve. He smiled.

"Thank you, everyone." We stood in challenge.

"If you truly wish to fight us, then it seems we have no choice. Our goal is the Gandalf; nothing more." Said Jack. He lifted up his halberd, and we all crouched, ready to anything. Dorian nodded towards the other two, and they also lifted up their weapons.

"Aww yeah, this is gonna be one hell of a party!" Laughed King. Just what is he talking about?

"Release restraint!" The three shouted in unison. Their weapons began to glow with an awesome light, and a sudden explosion of power sent us all flying off out feet. The entire school rumbled with a loud noise, and the three mercenaries gripped their weapons with both hands. As I recovered from my fall, I stared in awe at their weapons.

"What the hell?!" I shouted in shock. The alarms in my head were going off, telling every inch of my being to get the hell out of here. Each of their weapons emitted a different coloured fog, consuming their Masters. King's bow gave off a green smoke, Jack's halberd a red smoke, and Amy's staff a purple smoke. A whirlwind of energy dissipated the smoke, and each of them glowed with an aura of their corresponding colours. What the hell is going on?!

"_**This isn't good, they unleashed their true power! You need to run, NOW!"**_

"Everyone, get back!" shouted Colbert. But before anyone could do anything, an instantaneous flash of lightning, followed by the sound of thunder boomed through the hall. To all our surprise and horror, a bolt of lightning struck Colbert in the leg, and another through his heart. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and my eyes darted towards King, who had his bow up.

"COLBERT!" Louise, Agnes and I shouted together in despair as he fell to the ground. The alarms in my head went off again as the three of them disappeared. The ground shook with a violent earthquake, and I saw Amy reappear with a purple smoke at the back of the room, casting some sort of spell. Louise shouted in fright, and I immediately darted towards the sound of her voice. Jack swung his halberd at her.

"NO!" I shouted, but Agnes got between the two in time, blocking his strike. However, the air around the halberd became distorted, and a low, bass like humming filled the air. Blood suddenly burst from Agnes' back as if cut by an invisible blade, and she fell to the ground. Another earthquake followed as Agnes fell, and Dorian swung his halberd again. I tackled Dorian away from Louise as the sounds of thunder filled the air.

"Louise, are you alright?!" I asked, she nodded dumbly.

"Professor Colbert..." she whispered, her eyes wide with angst. I wanted to comfort her, but there was no time. Thunder boomed again in the hall, and I looked up. I saw five lightning bolts headed towards Tabitha, who responded with her own ice storm, intercepting each of the bolts. King accelerated behind her, and to my surprise, Tabitha nimbly dodged, moving almost as fast as King was. She shot another hurricane at King, making him stagger backwards. I grinned.

"You bitch!" King yelled out in surprise. Using Shunpo to close the distance, I swung Delfringer with all my might, but King blocked it with his short sword. King accelerated away as Tabitha shot more icicles, firing lightning bolts to slow me down. I charged up as much energy as I could within my body, unleashing a cataclysm of energy around me.

"METSU HADOKEN!" (Destructive Surge Fist) I roared. Black flames spurted from my left arm, and azure flames from my right. As I thrust my palms forward in the trademark Kamehameha stance, the flames combined, unleashing a giant ball of dark blue fire. It raced towards King as he accelerated away, the fireball exploding violently as it hit the wall. Smoke and debris covered my vision as I coughed, shielding Tabitha from the explosion. The sound of Louise screaming in pain shifted our attention, and we raced towards the sound.

"Do you see how powerless you are to save them?!" Shouted Dorian amidst the smoke. I heard the humming noise again, followed the the sound of cutting flesh. As the smoke cleared, Louise lay at Dorian's feet, her body stained a dark red.

"No..." I whispered. Not again... No!

"This is your weakness! Your strength is nothing to us!" shouted Dorian. However, his words seemed to fade away as the world darkened, and a splitting pain rushed through my head. I clenched my head in agony. The anger within me built up, my rage and despair creating flames of darkness around me, violently whipping around, blackening my heart.

_I'm so powerless..._

_I want more... More! More power!_

_**I NEED MORE POWER!**_

An explosion followed, and I was consumed by a black flame. I felt my consciousness fade, and as the darkness began to settle, the world around me changed. I saw a brimstone wasteland, flames scorching the rubble of the earth. Bodies littered upon one another. Amidst it all, stood a giant, obsidian black dragon, with piercing yellow eyes...

...

Third Person POV

There was a soft rumbling noise, rousing Louise from her slumber. The last thing she remembered was an arcing pain throughout her shoulder, and everything suddenly turned dark...

"_Michael!"_ she thought, her eyes snapping open. She looked up, Tabitha crouching by her side, waving her wand to heal Louise's shoulder. Agnes laid beside Tabitha. Louise crawled over to Agnes, turning her lifeless body. Several sword wounds spread across her back, slowly closing as Tabitha healed her as well.

"Agnes, get a hold of yourself!" cried Louise, trying to shake her awake. Louise clutched her shoulder in pain as she touched Agnes, but she didn't move. Panic overtook Louise's mind, and she pushed herself up, her eyes drawn towards the one known as Jack of Blades. She took out her wand, but Tabitha stopped her.

"That won't be necessary, descendant of the void. If you wish to live, I recommend you get away as far as you can from here." said Jack.

"What are you talking about?!" Louise shouted, her voice cracking with confusion. King cut her off.

"YES! He's here! The Black Beast is finally here!" laughed King with glee. What is he talking about? Louise followed their gazes, only to witness a horror she hoped would never come...

"Oh my God... Michael!" she whispered, covering her mouth with terror. But it wasn't Michael. His skin tone changed from a dark brown, to a pale, ashen grey. A small, diamond shaped, yellow crystal was lodged into the center of his forehead. Four black arcs were painted on each side of the crystal, resembling wings. Long, dragon like fangs poked out of his mouth as he growled, his voice distorted with demonic malice. The whites of his eyes turned black, and his pupils became evil yellow slits. The azure colour of his arm changed from a white blue to a dark purple. An aura of black leaked out of his body, corroding the ground around him. Horrified and disgusted, Louise turned towards Dorian.

"What did you do to him?!" she shouted in confusion. Thoughts of torture and ceremonial sacrifice raced through Louise's mind, her imagination running wild. Jack shook his head,

"We didn't do much, we only unlocked the beast within him. Now, if you value your life, leave before he tries to kill you!" warned Jack, but it was too late. Michael roared, a high pitched, dragon like wail, shaking Louise to the very bone. Any trace of humanity from him was gone. He lifted up his demon arm above his head, and the dark energy leaking from his body swirled above him. The winds blew as the dark power swirled faster and faster, compressing itself into a ball the size of his fist. Michael grasped it, and the ball stretched, becoming what Louise could make out to be a spear. With another screech, Michael threw it straight at Dorian.

"Everyone, move now!" Shouted Dorian. Tabitha grabbed Louise as she and Dorian jumped away from the spell. However, their efforts were for naught.. The spear exploded as it hit the wall, sending a massive shock wave throughout the entire premises. Louise screamed as she and Tabitha flew through the air, landing several miles away. Tabitha barely recovered as she rolled across the ground, protecting Louise as she did so.

"No! This can't be happening... Michael! Let me go, I have to help him!" Cried Louise, breaking free of Tabitha's grip. A gust of wind followed Michael's spell, clearing the smoke and allowing Louise to fully witness the destruction Michael had caused as she ran ahead.

The entire Central block of the academy was destroyed, debris and rubble scattered around the inner circle of the school. The once proud tower of the academy, as well as the symbolism of Tristein's unity crumbled like dust, victim to pure malevolent destruction. Louise gaped in horror, coming to a stop.

"Just what kind of terrifying power Michael had been keeping all this time?" Louise whispered to herself. The sounds of the other students caught her attention. She turned around, sighing with relief as she noticed all of them were safe.

One of them screamed, and Louise shifted her attention back to the cloud of smoke above, Michael burst out of the cloud, jumping through the air with a bloodied Colbert and Agnes in his arms. He landed on the ground, placing them on the grass. He stared at them, the world silencing as he growled in anger. He then turned towards Jack, then to the fright of all the students, he roared. His aura of darkness swirled around his back, shaping into wings. Flying at Jack with a speed surpassing the fastest of wind dragons, Dorian lifted up his halberd in challenge, but King accelerated between the two.

"Not so fast! This punk is mine!" Shouted King. He fired bolts of lightning again, all of them exploding on impact. Louise held her breath, only to be shaken again as Michael roared the smoke away, unscathed. However, his wings were gone. Amy came from the side, casting fireballs at him, but Michael lifted up his demon arm. A black wall outlined with dark purple appeared in front of him, causing the spells to be absorbed by the darkness, then fire back at Amy twice as fast. She dodged, the explosion ripping apart the grounds of the academy. Tabitha raced through the sky atop Sylphid, getting a look at the surrounding area.

"Partner!" shouted Delfringer helplessly.

"Get out of here. This is too much for you to handle." said Jack as he walked past Louise.

"No! You did this to him! You did this to him!" sobbed Louise, hitting Jack pathetically with her fists again. Dorian glared at her, roughly pushing Louise onto the ground. Osmond and Julio came to her side.

"Just what in Brimir's name is that thing?" said Osmond. Julio frowned.

"Is that... It can't be! Michael?!" cried out Julio. The others were just as shocked as he was.

"The Gandalf you knew is gone. The thing standing before us now is the Black Beast. An Ancient Dragon that tried to wipe out the entire planet 6000 years ago. With your current power, you wouldn't even be able to see him kill you."

The Black Beast? Ancient Dragon? What is he talking about? Before Louise could ask any more questions, Dorian jumped towards Michael. Shaken, but far from finished, Louise slowly stood up.

"Louise, you can't go! I understand you're worried, but it's too dangerous!" said Osmond, restraining

Louise.

"No! I have to go! I have to save him! Please, let me go!" Sobbed Louise, but Julio then stepped in.

"And what would you do?! Get yourself killed?! Do you think that would make Michael happy?!" shouted Julio. Louise recoiled with surprise. She had never seen Julio so angry. He clenched his fists tightly.

"I didn't believe it until I saw him... but to think that the beast would return..." muttered Julio. Louise gaped at him.

"You know what this is?! What do we do?!" She shouted, breaking out of Osmond's grip. Julio shook his head."

"The only thing we can do now, is hope that whatever humanity is left in him... can set him free..."

...

**Michael POV**

My eyes snapped open, a sudden blur of green blinding my vision. I covered my eyes on reflex, trying to force my eyes to adjust. What the hell happened?! I was suddenly consumed with an overwhelming darkness... It was unlike anything I had ever felt before.

As my eyes finally managed to adjust, I removed my demon hand from my eyes, taking a look at my surroundings. I was in a large, empty meadow. In all honesty, it was beautiful. The open plain was covered with grass and flowers of all kinds, extending as far as the eye can see. I looked up at the bright, clear sky, the sun shining brightly down on the haven. However, there were non signs of life. In fact, there there were no sounds at all. It was eerily still and silent. No wind, no animals, nothing.

"It seems I am not too late."said a familiar voice. I turned.

"Alright Illimité, you've got some serious explaining to do-" I started, but was cut off by my own shock and awe. The last time I had met with Illimité, he had taken my form. This time, he had taken an original form. He had long, straight brown hair that reached his shoulders, with the tips of his ears poking out.. He had gentle, green eyes, and a long nose. His skin was creamy white, and draped over his shoulders was a woollen, brown cape that reached up to his ankles. Under his robe was a white tunic, and knee length leather boots. In his left hand was a long oak staff as tall as he was. He looks exactly like...

"...Brimir?" I asked nervously in the silence. He closed his eyes solemnly, thinking hard about my words. He then nodded.

"You are somewhat correct. I was indeed Brimir, but am not who I used to be. I am a spirit now, the one you call Illimité." said Brimir, shaking his head. I cocked my eyebrow.

"What do you mean spirit? Also, is there any particular reason that we are in this abandoned meadow? What the hell was that power before I got here?" I asked as calmly as I could. Brimir looked up at the sky, his eyes deep in thought.

"I had hoped it would not come to this... Sasha, my love... please forgive me..." Brimir whispered to himself. I decided to keep silent, letting him think. He then faced me.

"I believe you have many questions about what is happening to you. I will explain it as best I can. As you already know, Earth, your home planet and the world you currently reside in, Halkeginia, are connected." said Brimir. I nodded, recalling our conversation in the Velvet room. He explained to me that the worlds were connected, but he did not go any further than that. Something about me not being ready.

"The truth of the matter is, they are more connected than you could ever imagine. In fact, 6500 years ago, Earth and Halkegina were one."

"What?!" I cried out, stupefied. Brimir nodded.

"Have you ever wondered why, what you call the "North and South Pacific Ocean's", that is all there is? Endless waters? Have you ever taken into consideration why the Indian Ocean is only surrounded on three sides? Did you ever wonder why we have so little waters Halkegina? It is because the two worlds used to be one." I placed my hand on my forehead, trying to process this information. As far as I recall, there are four kingdoms in Halkeginia. Germania, Tristein, Albion and Galia. If what Brimir says is true, then each of the countries used to be in those specific places! Brimir shook his head as he continued.

"Yes, it is a lot to take in, but please bear with it. There is more. The two worlds used to be one, but it was in complete chaos. There were two world empires: The Mage Empire and the Wisdom Empire. It was a time before the Medieval age, before the age of Christ. Each of the factions sought out their own methods, wishing to further improve upon their creations." I groaned inwardly as Brimir explained the situation, feeling a large dose of Full Metal Alchemist nostalgia.

"But as I stated, the two worlds were in chaos. Every day was another war, another conflict, another death. Seeking dominance over the other, the two powers fought tirelessly for hundreds of years, desperately wishing to prove that their form was the superiority that would bring about evolution..."

"Which side were you on, and how long did you fight for?" I asked. Brimir shook his head.

"I was not apart of the first generation of mages, but the twentieth. Previous to us, the wars went on for 300 years, until the Black Beast rose."

"The Black Beast huh? King kept on mentioning it, what is it?" Brimir's face darkened.

"It is the manifestation of the hatred and corruption that stained the Earth that once was. Completely immune to both the previous forms of magic and technology, it wreaked havoc for 200 years, nearly annihilating the world as we knew it, and if we didn't stop it, the universe. Poisoning the world with a black fog, it was a Dragon with no equal."

"But if it was immune to your technology and magic, how did you defeat it?"

"Do not fret, I was just getting to that. The Black Beast was a powerful monstrosity, leaving nothing but ash and flames in its destructive wake. It forced the remains of the world powers to unite. They researched the beast desperately in order to find a way to combat it, and eventually came up with what we called 'Soul weapons'. They are special weapons forged through ancient magic made specifically to combat the beast's power." I arched my eyebrow at this.

"Soul weapons? Really? Did you happen to have two swords called Soul Edge and Soul Calibur?" I asked nonchalantly. Brimir laughed, shaking his head.

"No we did not, however Delfringer is a Soul weapon. A Soul Blade to be exact."

"Say what?! Delfringer Told me he was 600 years old!"

"600? No, that cannot be right. Delfringer was one of the first Soul Blades to ever be developed... I guess it has been too long for him." replied Brimir, shaking his head with a laugh. His face turned serious again.

"But returning to the matter at hand, Soul weapons, as effective as they are, were extremely difficult to develop. Not to mention the amount of time it took to stabilize the forging of the weapon. There are five soul weapons in existence. The first Soul Blade Delfringer, devourer of magic. The Soul Halberd Loki, splitter of dimensions. The Soul Staff Freyja, commander of the elements. The Soul Bow Odin, master of lightning. Lastly the Soul Scythe Helheim, the soul cutter. Each weapon has a unique power meant to combat the Beast."

"Those weapons... they were used by the mercenaries I fought!" Brimir nodded gravely.

"Yes, and if my intuition is correct, Astor's true intention is to bring back the Black Beast... but I will be getting to that. Delfringer was the first Soul Blade to ever be developed. However, he was only a prototype. By utilizing his ability to absorb magic, we were able to study the magic that the Black Beast used, as well as use it to our advantage. It helped us further our own forms of magic, which gave birth to the other weapons. This is where Freyja, Loki and Odin came in. By controlling not the current forms of magic, but the world's elements itself, and by attacking the beast's insides through dimensions, while stopping its poison fog with the power of lightning, we were able to slow it down."

"But you were never truly able to kill it were you?"

"No, instead we were forced to seal its power. Using Helheim, we split its soul into five pieces, four of the pieces residing within each of the countries Halkeginia..."

"And the final piece?"

"The final piece was sealed within Sasha... The first Gandalf, and my wife."

"There's another thing that was mentioned. King said I was a descendant of hers. Is that also true?" Brimir nodded his head.

"Yes. Due to the damage, With Freyja's help, the mages had taken what was left of the world, split it in two, sealed away by what is called The Rift. It is what it is, a rift that separates the two worlds. This was also a chance for both the world powers to separate themselves and develop for good without blood shed. Those who sought technology were moved to the planet you call Earth, and those who wanted to pursue magic stayed in Halkeginia. Sasha stayed on Earth in order to fully ensure that The black beast could never rise to full power if it were ever revived. However, irony has decided to play a trick on us, and call you to be the next Gandalf."

"Wait a second. Sasha was your familiar right?"

"Yes she was."

"And you created that guardian group on immortal mages right? Wasn't Sasha immortal as well?"

"Yes she was, but unfortunately her immortality could not be sustained. You see, our immortality is sustained through the magic that flows through the world. Earth did not have such magic, due to the poisoning of the Black Beast. The remaining lands that consist of Halkeginia are what we managed to purify before the split, and as such Sasha was forced to have children, otherwise risk losing control of the beast."

"In other words, that black beasts' power was passed onto her children." I concluded. Brimir nodded.

"That is why I have brought you here. I will show you how to control your new found power. This is the reason why I chose you, Gandalf. No, Michael Diaz. I chose you because you are a descendant of the first Gandalf, and you harbour a dangerous power. However, if you learn to control the beast within you, you can use it to protect those you love. Are you ready to accept this power?"

"Do you even need to ask? You've been in my head long enough to know that I'll do whatever it takes to gain power. What do you need me to do?" Brimir nodded.

"I am confident you will be able to control this power, however it will not be easy."

The sky plunged into darkness. The open grass field died, turning into a fiery brimstone wasteland. The realm shook violently, splitting open in various places.

"What the hell?!" I shouted, stumbling as I tried to keep balance. Brimir merely stood there like nothing happened. A loud, Godzilla like screech pierced my ears, and I reflexively covered them. A black silhouette burst out of the ground, flew through the air, and slammed into the ground with an echoing _boom!_ The figure stood.

"What the hell... is that me?!" I shouted, but it wasn't me. It was as if I had used Devil Trigger. My armour transformed into an black organic material, moulding itself onto my other self. In addition, it wore an organic, dragon head shaped helmet of the same colour. Its pupils were piercing yellow, the whites of his eyes black instead. His demon arm was a different colour, the red demon skin was black, and instead of an azure glow, it was dark purple. A black fog leaked out of him like an aura. In his hands was another Delfringer. Giant, bat like wings sprouted from his back. The webs of its wings were a crimson red, the bones of the wings black from what I could tell.

"This is your test. You are your worst enemy; Defeat yourself!"


	34. The Enemy Inside

Change my Destiny 34: The Enemy Inside

This chapter was inspired by a song called "The Enemy", by Papa Roach.

My left arm pulsed with a loud heartbeat as I stared down at my demon self, wondering what it was thinking, imagining what it could do. How powerful was he?

"_**You're Sasha's descendant huh?"**_ said my other self, his baritone voice echoed demonically, much to my surprise. I hastily blocked an oncoming strike, my other self accelerating in to close the distance. The force of the blow was inhuman, sending me flying off my feet, my left arm feeling like the bones had shattered. I let out a strangled cry as I rolled across the floor, clenching my left hand. My other self roared with a loud, Godzilla like screech, piercing my ears. It took everything I had not to cover my ears, and to dash in full force. As I charged, my other self waved his demon hand. The aura around his body formed seven orbs of darkness, stretching into long needles, reaching a full meter in length

As I skid to a halt, my other self thrust his demon hand forward. The needles pointed themselves towards me, then raced forward. I dashed sideways to avoid them. The needles shattered as they hit the ground, shrapnel of darkness flying. I charged up my own magic.

"Blazing Fang!" I shouted.

"_**How pathetic. I'm disappointed!" **_shouted my other self. As my spell approached, he backhanded my spell his his demon arm, negating my spell completely.

"_**Let me show you a real blazing fang!" **_ My other self lifted up his demon arm above his head, and the dark energy leaking from his body swirled above him. The winds blew as the dark power swirled faster and faster, compressing itself into a ball the size of his fist. He grasped it, and the ball stretched, becoming a spear of darkness. He threw it at me.

"Blazing Fang!" I shouted, planning to fire my spell as a distraction. Our spells collided as I accelerated away as fast as I could, my blazing fang being completely overpowered. The explosion of the spell sent my flying, and as I recovered, my other self was right on top of me. I tried to retaliate, throwing a swift kick at his head. He ducked under it, and thrust his left palm into my exposed side.

"_**Messatsu!" **_(Destruction) it growled. A surge of darkness burst from his hand, blasting me away. I tumbled through the air like a rag doll, my ears ringing and my body screaming in pain. Adrenaline rushed through me. I recovered as fast as I could, sheathed Delfringer, and charged my energy.

"Shinkuu... Hadoken!" I shouted, thrusting my palms forward. As my beam of energy raced forward, a wall of darkness formed around my other self. Our spells collided, my beam spreading in all directions like a shotgun. Growling, my other self managed to accelerate past my guard and attempted to kick me into the ground. I blocked it, but the force sent my sliding across the ground, the world around me turning red with blood. I shook my head as my other self walked towards me. I wiped off the blood in my eyes.

"_**They took everything... Colbert, Agnes, Louise, and you just stood there, screaming like a mewling child!" **_my demon self roared, taking the Hadoken stance. A surge of dark energy spiralled in his hands, electricity crackling around him. He thrust his palms forward, firing a black version of Shinkuu Hadoken. The beam was too fast, too large and ultimately impossible to avoid. All I could do was try and absorb as much magic as I could with both Delfringer and my demon arm. I struggled to control the flow of power, my body slowly being pushed backwards as I held my ground. I could feel my body begin to tear, blood trickling down my head. I need to do something, and fast!

An idea came about, and I absorbed his magic through my demon arm, while expelling it behind me from Delfringer. When the spell finally stopped, I was on full magic stock. I coated Delfringer's edge with magic, making it sharper. I attacked.

My other self accelerated around me, swinging his sword in a simple double stroke, up then down. I dodged the first strike and parried the second, the collision of our swords blinding me slightly. I retaliated with a double stroke of my own, swinging upwards then horizontally. My other self parried the first strike and ducked under the second. We both jumped back, and I briefly assessed our exchange before we circled each other warily. He grinned all the while, provoking me to come forward.

I complied, relentlessly striking with a series of bone crushing blows, intent on landing a hit. My other self parried them all with little difficulty. I threw a kick at his head. He ducked under my kick, and retaliated with a back kick of his own. His kick struck like a Viper, fast and hard, sending me flying to the ground once again.

"_**Hmph, if this is all you can do then I won't have any problem defeating you. But first, lets see if your memory serves you well. What is the difference between a King and his horse?!" **_My other self spat, his eyes filled with hatred. Where have I heard that before?

"Its instinct." I replied after a moment of thought, recalling what Ichigo said in Bleach. I stood up.

"_**Correct! Its instinct! The one thing all powerful fighters need to acquire more power, the one thing that is needed to become a king, is simply that fervent desire for battle! To crush the enemy without mercy; rip them to shreds; mince them to pieces and have an absolute lust for battle! There, engrained in your nerves, is the refined killer instinct!" **_When I didn't reply, he continued.

"_**You have that killer instinct. I have watched your ancestors, watched you as you lived your life! That primal instinct that lied within your ancestors disappeared over the ages, but because you came to Tristein, that instinct has come back! You are just afraid to use it!"**_

"What are you talking about!?" I yelled, throwing another slash at him. He blocked it, and we started a power struggle.

"_**Simple. You are afraid to embrace your true power. You are afraid to step away from your humanity. Did it ever occur to you that because you are a descendant of Sasha, that elf blood is running through your veins?! Did you ever wonder why you could use magic?! Did you know that you could use the ancient magic of the elves?! No, you don't and it's because you lack your killer instinct! You are afraid to embrace your heritage, to embrace where you belong! You belong on the battlefield, just as your ancestors have before!" **_he cried, pushing me back with inhuman strength. As I skid to a halt, I readied Delfringer, but he didn't pursue me.

"_**This is why I am stronger. This is why you cannot protect that which you cherish! I am not like you. I will gain all the power I need, kill all those that I want to kill, and crush those who dare to defy my will!" **_He charged at me, and we engaged in a dance of swordplay, each of us parrying the others blows.

He was right. I was afraid.

I was afraid to kill. Yes, I did kill Wardes with the Dragon's Raiment, but killing with a gun and killing with a sword are two different things. I was afraid to step outside the laws of what humanity thought was foolish and barbaric. But in the back of my mind, I always thought about it. What is it like to kill someone? What is it like to feel blood on your hands? What kind of force do I need to put to cut someone? What is it like to watch someone breathe their last, knowing that you are the one who ended their life?

I wanted to know, but I always suppressed it. With the kind of society that I lived in, I would have surely been sent to jail. Amy would never want me to kill someone. If I ever did, she would be sad. Louise would be sad. Colbert would be sad. Mom, Dad, and all my friends would be sad.

But they aren't here right now. The only thing here is him, and I.

I let my mind clear. My body reacted to my other self's strikes on their own, and I merely focused. Focus on the battle. The smell of the heat, the sizzling sensation of my burning wounds, the sounds of steel against steel. I tuned out the world around me, dodging another lethal thrust. I replied with a thrust of my own, straight to his heart.

My other self grinned wolfishly, and took the hit. My sword sunk through him, my left arm straining under the inhuman force of my right. However, my other self did not flinch. He did not cry out. He merely grinned, his sickening smile reminding me greatly of Hollow Ichigo.

"_**Haha... there it is... The killer instinct. It looks like you still had a little bit left in you after all." **_he laughed, ignoring the wound completely.

"_**Whatever. My power is incomplete, and if I killed you here, I would have died too."**_ he gripped my demon hand with his human hand, his eyes hardening again.

"_**I will lend you my power. However, know this! You are still rekindling your fighting instinct. There will come a time where I will fight to take over again. After all, with great power comes great responsibility!"**_

"Sorry, but I won't let that happen." I replied, deadpanned.

"_**We'll see how far you get. Do your best on the battlefield, and no matter what, until I decide to appear again, do your best not to die!"**_

My other self then faded, becoming a spirit of dark energy. He swirled around my body, covering me like an aura. The aura then sank into my skin, changing its colour to ashen grey, and my demonic arm''s azure light into a dark purple. I could feel a renewed strength rushing through my veins, empowering me, increasing my strength. I felt a sudden itching feeling on my forehead, and placed my hand on it. It was rock hard, and was the shape of a diamond. Was it a crystal of some sort? I don't remember seeing one on my other self... I then closed my eyes, pushing my changes aside. I can deal with those later.

I looked down at Delfringer, and squeezed his hilt. My first kill with a sword. The tingling sensation of my blood boiling, the straining force my arm went under as I thrust Delfringer... I felt myself breathing with excitement, but maybe that was the adrenaline.

With a blink, the meadow was back. Surprised, I examined my surroundings. What the heck? That was fast. There was the sound of wind blowing, and with another blink, Brimir stood before me.

"You passed." he said. I grinned at him.

"Of course I did. If I failed, you would probably be disappointed. Right, my great great great however many great grandpa?" I replied. My voice had changed as well, having a demonic echo. He smiled in response.__

"I suppose I would have been. Still, it is good to see that Sasha lives in you. You have her eyes." he said, looking up at the sky.

"She was an elf right? What was she like?" He was silent for a moment, bathing in the memories of his past.

"She was just as she was beautiful. To her, battle was a primary instinct, but she knew true justice. She knew when to kill, who to kill and when to show mercy."

"Do you think the Black Beast would accept it if I did that?"

"Perhaps. Only one way to find out, don't you think?" I smiled back at him. There was no more need for words. The world grew bright, fading away with a great noise. My power lowered, settling itself within me. I closed my eyes.

...

Voices. Assorted voices of all kinds. I couldn't tell who was who, but there was one thing for certain; they weren't happy. There were shouts, there were cries and there was weeping. The empty whiteness covering my vision began to fade, and slowly, everything came back into focus.

The first thing I noticed was that we weren't near the school anymore. Instead I found myself in the surrounding open plain, staring into the terrified faces of the academy members, Agnes' gunpowder squadron standing guard in front of Colbert and Agnes, who were lying on the ground, and to my surprise Henrietta herself. They were all afraid, staring at me with bulging eyes and gaping mouths. Many of Agnes' subordinates were crouching, their hands firmly gripping their drawn swords. However, with an acute sense of hearing I could not explain, I could hear the rattling of metal, and could see their limbs shaking. Louise stood at the front of the crowd with Henrietta, her face as dumbfounded as everyone else.

"Have you finally calmed down partner?" said Delfringer. He was in my hands, drawn and stained with blood.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"_**About 20 or so minutes."**_ said Illimité.

And just like that, everything seemed so much more clear. My vision had been vastly improved, going beyond my 20/20 vision. I could hear the sounds of the grass rustling in the breeze, and even the chattering teeth and the hushed voices of the fearful students. The smell of carbon dioxide and crackling of flames could be heard as if I were standing right beside-

Wait a second... Fire?!

I whipped around, taking a step back at the sight before me. The entire school ground was up in flames, the once proud construct burning like a giant bonfire. Somehow, deep inside, I knew I was the one who did it.

"Oh my God..." were my first words. I ran towards the school.

"Michael, wait!" Shouted Louise. Her voice stung my ears, as if she was screaming right into them. I winced the pain down, sprinting towards the school. The world around me seemed to blur, and within a few seconds, I was standing in front of the flames. I looked down at my hands.

"I don't know how, but it seems that the Black Beast's power gave me an overall boost in... well, everything." I mumbled to no one in particular. Footsteps came from behind me, and I turned, surprised to see Tabitha right behind me. Tabitha lifted up her wand unconsciously as I faced her. She didn't say anything, staring at me with ever so slightly widened eyes. Well, I suppose anyone would be surprised.

"...Did I do this?" I asked in the silence. Tabitha nodded.

"Transformation." said Tabitha, lowering her staff.

"You mean I transformed?" She nodded.

"You went on one hell of a rampage Michael. It reminded me of something a long time ago... Although, I can't remember what." said Delfringer.

"I'll tell you about it later. How much did I change?" I asked.

"Demon." was her reply. A sudden creeping feeling rose within my gut, as I remembered my darker, evil self, his grin imprinted deep into my memory.

"Did I have wings? Did my armour seem to mould itself to me? Was there a yellow crystal on my head?" Tabitha shook her head, surprising me.

"You had a black aura, with a yellow crystal and tattoos on your forehead. Your skin changed colour." said Tabitha. That was the longest sentence I've ever heard her say, but I didn't have time to think about it. The rest became obvious. I turned again, facing the flames.

"Where did the mercenaries go?" Amy's distraught face appeared in my head, but I shook it off.

"They retreated. You managed to beat them down pretty badly you know. I never knew you could control magic the way you did..." said Delfringer. I nodded absentmindedly.

"Did they say anything while we fought?"

"Black Beast." replied Tabitha, returning to her short sentences.

"Was anyone else hurt during the battle?"

"Colbert and Agnes." My eyes widened as I remembered what happened to them. Trying to remain calm, I clenched my fists.

"...Are they alive?" I asked, hoping, wondering what happened while I was out. Tabitha didn't answer, and I faced her again. She was shaking slightly, her eyes on the ground. With my stronger senses, I could see her knuckles turn white as she clenched her staff, the wood creaking beneath its master's vice grip. It didn't take a genius to know what the answer was. I cursed, turning away from her again. I stared into the flames, wanting to think about something else. However, it was not enough to distract me from their faces, the promises we made. A sudden anger within me rose. Wanting to vent my anger, I swung Delfringer in my hands. A forceful gust of wind blew at my inhuman strength, increasing the intensity of the flames, then dying down. I stabbed Delfringer into the ground.

"Damn it all..." I whispered. Tabitha didn't say anything, and another set of footsteps came. I turned, seeing Louise, Osmond, Henrietta and Julio.

"Michael." Called out Louise. Their footsteps slowed, and I turned towards them. Louise flinched as she came closer to me.

"...Sorry guys, looks like I caused a lot of trouble for you." I said, lowering my head. She clenched her fists, holding back her tears. Julio stepped in.

"It seems that the dark power within you has awakened." said Julio. I whipped my head to him, my eyes widening with surprise.

"You know about this?" Julio nodded.

"I don't know much, but I read up about it before I came here. The Black Beast, an ancient and powerful Dragon that waged war on humanity. It was sealed away by Brimir and his familiar, Sasha. That's all I was able to dig up." said Julio. I shook my head.

"That's not too far from the truth, but it looks like I'll have to explain everything... But before I continue, Henrietta, what are you doing here?" She stepped forward.

"I received word that the Academy was taken hostage, and did my best keep the situation under control. However, it wasn't until a commoner reported seeing the school go up in flames that I decided to come here. I wasn't here for the battle, but I was able to see your transformed state before you suddenly transformed back. From what happened, you looked like you were in pain." said Henrietta. Typical reversal.

"This is going to be a lot to take in. But I assure you, every word is true." I started. Everyone gave me their full focus.

"_**Michael, let me take over and explain it. I think it would be better if I did."**_ I nodded, closing my eyes. I felt my consciousness being pulled back as Brimir's was pushed forward. I gave him full control, just like the first time we became one. He opened my eyes, and I could tell the others were startled.__Something about me must have changed.

"Michael, your eyes changed colour!" said Louise. Brimir brought up my hand. When she closed her mouth, Brimir put my hand down and continued.

"_**This will indeed be a lot to take in, but do not fret. I will explain everything and answer as many of your questions as I can. My name... Is Brimir."**_

"WHAT?!" Everyone shouted in unison. Before they could continue, he put up a hand again.

"_**As I said, I will explain everything."**_

And so he decided to explain everything in order. How he met me, the fact that Brimir and I made a contract, his ability bring able to recreate anything from my memory__perfectly. The power that gave birth to my demonic arm. He then described the world that once was, and the 300 year war with the Black Beast.

"So... Michael's world and ours used to be one?" said Julio, confirming the information.

"This is so much..." said Henrietta, placing a hand on her head. The others looked just as disturbed.

"_**Yes, I understand. However, if we are to assess the situation, you must have every bit of knowledge that you can get."**_replied Illimité. Henrietta sighed, nodding. Illimité moved onto the creation of soul weapons, and their war to fight back the Black Beast. I could see Louise, Julio and Tabitha nodding as he explained them.

"So those weapons that the mercenaries had... They were soul weapons?" Asked Louise. I felt myself nod.

"This is such an incredible concept... Colbert would have loved to hear about this..." said Osmond. The atmosphere took a depressing plunge. However, Illimité did not stop. He further went on about how they sealed the beast's power within Halkeginia, and then finally within Sasha herself.

"Why did you do that?! Wasn't there another way?" Shouted Louise. I felt my head shake.

"_**Sasha herself was the one who fought and defeated to the Black Beast. Her understanding of it's power was something no other human or elf could comprehend."**_ That seemed to calm Louise down.

"_**After the beast was sealed away and the worlds were finally stabilizing, I established the countries you now see, after the elves isolated themselves."**_

"After the banishment of the holy land..." said Henrietta. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"_**That is part of the whole truth. The real reason that humans were to not stay in the holy land was because it was there, in the holy land of elves, that part of the black beast's power was sealed. In order to make sure that humans would not succumb to it's power, I made a deal with the elves. In exchange for leaving the holy land to prevent temptation, the elves were to watch over the seal placed there. They agreed." **_The others nodded, not seeming surprised. After all, with all the information they just had, it would be hard to surprise them more.

"_**We are almost done. However, this next piece of information must stay within this group. It must not get out. Doing so would cause a huge ruckus." **_said Illimité. Noticing the gravity of his words, everyone leaned in. He then explained how Sasha went to earth, had children, and that I was her modern descendant.

"So... Michael... is half elf?" asked Henrietta. Louise stared at me with huge envy, and Tabitha gave me her rare bug eyed stare. Julio didn't seem surprised, and Osmond was silent.

"_**Incorrect. Sasha was the only elf that existed in his world, and as such her magic power has diminished over the generations. Although, coming back to Halkeginia has reawakened his true potential. He may not be a full elf, but with the knowledge that comes from his world, as well as the power he attained from gaining control over the black beast, he is just as powerful, as **__**demonstrated." **_said Brimir, pointing towards the flames behind us.

"What?! He gained control over its power in such a short time?!" Shouted Julio.

"_**Indeed, but know the beast's power is only one fifth complete. While Michael was on rampage, in his mind, he fought the black beast. However, it seems the beast was merely testing him as a warrior. In the end, the beast decided to lend him its power." **_said Brimir, leaving out the part about him trying to take over again. I silently thanked him.

"_**Do you have any questions?"**_ Osmond stepped forward.

"Yes. You said that the Black Beast's power was sealed within Sasha right? How did Michael inherit it?"

"_**That I cannot answer. I lost contact with Sasha after she left this world. However, I would assume that she used the magic sustaining her immortality to pass it onto her children, teaching her younglings how to control their power." **_Osmond nodded in agreement. Julio stepped forward.

"I also have a question. You said you are Brimir correct? Why and how did you become a spiritual being?"

"_**Let me explain how magic works first. Ancient magic is a special type of magic that was used in the world that once was. In fact, back then ancient magic was the norm. It works by understanding where magic comes from: the world itself. Within our Earth, is an everlasting stream of Mana, which is the source of all life. Many have speculated that spirits, both living and dead are a manifestation of Mana. When one dies, the body decays and the spirit returns to the said stream. As such, every object, every living being is uniquely connected to the world. For all of you, it would be your elements. When modern day mages use magic, it is done so by cause and effect. Your wands manipulate the magic in the air around you to create an effect, such as an explosion, blowing winds, healing wounds and so on. Ancient magic is different from elements. It is manipulating that flow within not only the world, but even in oneself to bend nature. For example, this fire." **_explained Illimité. It was obvious that they were all confused. Brimir faced the flames, and I felt the magic within we well up. My right arm shined brightly.

"_**Calm down."**_ he said to the firestorm in front of me. And just like that, the flames began to flicker. I sensed the magic in the earth flow through the fire, aiding Brimir's wishes. Nature itself seemed to obey, the fire killing itself with flickers and sparks. I could feel the particles of the flames follow my will, the carbon dioxide atoms rapidly exhausting itself into the air, the oxygen atoms burning themselves out faster and faster. After several minutes, the flames completely died.

"That... That was awesome!" Shouted Delfringer.

"Incredible..." whispered Julio. Henrietta, Louise, Osmond and Tabitha just stared in awe. Brimir turned back towards the others.

"_**When you all use magic, do you feel anything? Do you feel a swell of power within you? Can you even feel the magic in the air? Sense others' magical presences?" **_he asked. Louise's brow rose in confusion, and the others shook their heads.

"Whenever I cast magic, it comes almost immediately. I never felt any of the things you described." said Louise. Tabitha nodded in agreement.

"_**That right there is the difference between modern magic and Ancient magic."**_

"Incredible... but that still doesn't answer my question." said Julio. I felt myself nod.

"_**I became a spirit to fulfil an oath that I pledged to Sasha. In the old world, familiars were not summoned like they were today. Back then, we mages chose our familiars for ourselves, and had to engrave the markings on our familiars manually. We devised a new way to summon familiars and perform contracts, as the old way was too strenuous and sometimes caused death to the chosen familiars. However, that came with a consequence."**_

"What do you mean?" Asked Henrietta.

"_**As I stated earlier, every living being is connected to the Mana stream. Our method used a special summoning technique that reaches into the stream, and finds a unique match for the summoner. This brought about unexpected results, such as summoning someone from the other world." **_Julio nodded, understanding.

"_**I became a spirit after making a contract with Sasha, that if her descendant were to come back to this world, that I would help him or her learn to control their power, and aid them by whatever means." **_Concluded Illimité. Julio nodded, satisfied.

"I have another question. Do you know Astor?" asked Osmond. I nodded.

"_**After the countries were settled, I set out to find Magi suitable enough to to watch over the remaining seals of the black beast left within Halkeginia. That was how I met Astor." **_Brimir paused.

"_**Together, we established a group of the remaining ancient mages, as well as those who had to most potential to learn ancient magic... but it was all a cunning scheme. In reality, Astor was driven by his lust for knowledge. He experimented on others, finding new ways to further enhance his twisted evolution of magic. When I found out, it was already too late. I was a spirit by then, my body succumbing to death." **_Osmond nodded.

"This is all so much to take in... However, we still need to consider our situation. We need to discuss the potential threat this 'Astor' person is." said Henrietta. As she turned back to the others, Brimir withdrew his conscience, allowing me to regain control of my body.

"Before we do that, we need to take to consideration the students. Now that the academy is gone, their parents will be in an uproar..." said Osmond. I flinched slightly, and Louise gave me a worried look. However, Osmond laughed.

"Do not worry Michael. Your secret is safe with me." he replied cheerfully, but I shook my head.

"I know that I can trust you, but I can't help by feel responsible... Colbert and Agnes-" I started, but Osmond cut me off.

"Michael, no one here is blaming you for what happened. What was done was not by your hands, but by the black beast inside. The only thing you can do now is hope to gain more control over it, and prevent it from happening next time. We shape our futures from the past after all." said Osmond solemnly. Everyone seemed to relax at his optimism, and we walked back to the other students.

"Are all of you all right Lady Henrietta? What happened to the fire?" asked one of Agnes' subordinates. She placed her grip on her sword as I walked up to her, backing away.

"Don't worry, I put it out. Are all of you-" I started, but I felt a surge of magic. I lifted up my demon arm, blocking an oncoming wind spell.

"D-Demon! Do you even know what you've done?!" cried out one of the students, her wand out. The others crouched behind her, obviously afraid. Louise stepped in.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Louise shouted. The girl panicked, ignoring Louise altogether.

"D-D-Demon! Get away from us!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. Another joined us.

"A monster like you doesn't belong here!"

"Give us back professor Colbert!"

The accusations continued. Left and right, each one of the other students stood up against me, their words hitting my heart like a hammer.

_You have power, but you lack the means to control it! Without control, power is meaningless! _Dorian's words echoed in my mind. I clenched my fist in anger.

"What are we supposed to do now that our academy is gone?!" Another shouted. Louise stepped in.

"Shut up! None of you have the right to accuse him!" Shouted Louise in my defence.

"What do you mean we don't have the right? He caused all this in the first place! If it weren't for him, we would still have our academy! We would still be living our lives as we should have! Colbert and Agnes wouldn't have had to die! IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!"

A sudden anger welled up within me. I walked towards the girls, killer intent in my every movement. They all shrieked, and Agnes' corps stood in challenge against me. One of them tried to slash me with her sword, but I grabbed it with my demon hand, snapping it like a twig, then roundhouse kicking her in the stomach. Another took out her pistol, but I lifted up my demon hand, pointing at her gun with my index and middle finger. I charged the magic within me.

"Michael, stop!" shouted Henrietta and Julio, but I ignored them.

"Burn in a flame!" I shouted. The barrel of her gun exploded as she fired her pistol, making her back away. I dashed in at her, tornado kicking her head, knocking her out. The entire scenario took less than seven seconds. Tabitha flitted in front of me.

"Move." I growled. She shook her head.

"_**Michael, calm down! Don't let the your anger control you!"**_

"Michael, please! Calm yourself! This is no time to be fighting!" said Osmond. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and on reaction I tried to elbow him in the face. He narrowly avoided my strike, and Tabitha moved in on me, swinging her staff at my head. I easily ducked under it, crouching low. I pounced upwards at Tabitha, thrusting my knee forward. She swiftly spun around me, moving faster than I've ever seen her move. Her smashed her staff into my spine, and I cringed in pain, landing on the ground with a growl.

"Michael, please stop!" shouted Louise from behind me. A hand was placed on my shoulder, and without thinking I spun, back handing whoever it was. Louise yelped, falling to the ground with a loud thud. It was then the anger stopped, and I realized what I had done.

"Louise, are you alright?!" Shouted Kirche, falling to her side. Louise placed a hand on her now swelling cheek, staring at me with the same eyes as everyone else. Afraid. I took an unconscious step forward.

"Louise... I'm sorry, I didn't-" I started, but a sudden piercing pain raced through my head. I flinched in pain, grasping my head as a means of respite. I fell on my knees, curling into a ball, when voices came.

_Everyone, run! Don't look back!_

_No! Timothy! Give me back my Timothy!_

_Mommy! Please help me!_

_We're all doomed! The black beast will kill us all!_

I roared in pain as more and more cries of young and old echoed in my mind, driving me to insanity. I felt my power flare, a small explosion rippling the air around me.

Amidst it all, I heard my other self laughing manically, mocking me.

I screamed, and with another explosion of power I accelerated away.


	35. For Old Time's Sake

Change my Destiny Chapter 35: For Old Time's Sake

**Louise POV**

"Michael, please stop!" I cried out, trying to hold him back. But before I knew it, a sudden impact sent me flying to the ground. In a daze I placed a hand on my cheek, looking at Michael with widened eyes. His eyes had changed. However, it was different from when he became Brimir. When Brimir spoke, Michael's eyes glowed blue. This time, his pupils became slits.

"Louise, are you all right?! Said Kirche, kneeling beside me. I couldn't help but shuffle back as Michael took a step forward.

"Louise, I'm sorry! I didn't-" He started, but something changed again. His eyes widened with pain, and he grasped his head, falling on his knees. I felt myself back away unconsciously as a torrent of electricity crackled around him, the black aura from his demonic state leaking out of his body.

"Michael!" I cried out. With shaking knees, I stood, trying to inch closer to him. He screamed, and with an explosion of power, he disappeared, leaving an empty crater in his wake. The world was silent, everyone holding their breath, waiting for something else to happen. After several seconds, the students sighed with relief, whispering amongst themselves.

Tabitha was the first to take action. She briskly walked away from the crowd, whistling towards the sky. Sylphid screeched at her call, flying down from the sky and landing with a heavy _thud. _She climbed on.

"Wait, Tabitha! Where are you going?!" shouted Kirche, running up to her. I followed.

"Dangerous. Need to find him." replied Tabitha, seating herself.

"What do you mean you're going to find him?!" Shouted Kirche. The other students nodded in agreement, whispering at Tabitha's courage. Tabitha shook her head.

"He's fought for us so many times. It's time to return the favour." Kirche took a step back at Tabitha's conviction.

"I'm going too. He made a promise that he would protect me no matter what happens, I'm going to make sure he keeps it." I said, climbing on Sylphid. While that was part of the reason, it was not the whole truth.

I want to save him.

It's just like Tabitha said. He's saved me so many times. He's put his life on the line, risking his life and even gave away his humanity to protect me. No more, I won't be saved all the time. This time, I want to save him! I want to show him that I won't always need him to save me, that we can fight side by side, relying on only each other.

Kirche looked between us, trying to come to a decision. She grabbed her hair in frustration.

"Argh, this is too much! Alright, I'm going too! If anything, at least I'll be able to blow up something to vent my stress..." Kirche sighed, rubbing her temples. "All this is too much for me... I swear, it's going to give me wrinkles!" Kirche climbed on Sylphid, sitting behind Tabitha and I. Suddenly, before we could take off, Henreitta walked up to us and urgently spoke,

"Before you go, please come to the castle after you find Michael. For now, I will take care of the students until their families come. If I am not there by the time you arrive, give them this letter. It should clear up any misunderstandings." She took out a letter, handing it to me. I took it.

"Thank you princess. We'll come back as soon as we can!"

As I put the letter in my skirt pocket, Tabitha's familiar jumped high into the air, wings flapping. I gripped Sylphid's body tightly, ignoring the rising feeling in my stomach and Kirche's body pressing up against mine... I never did like flying on dragons much...

"Hold on tight." said Tabitha, and Sylphid began to fly forward.

"Where could he be? With that kind of speed, he could be anywhere for all we know!" said Kirche, looking below. She was right. How were we supposed to find him? Tabitha leaned in, whispering something into Sylphid's ear. The dragon nodded, and dived a little lower to the ground.

"Look over there!" I shouted. Several miles ahead, an explosion erupted in the forest, rising high above the trees. Just what is going on?!

...

**Michael POV**

I sped through the open field, the world around me becoming a single blur of motion. I didn't know how long I went or how fast I was going, but by the time I stopped, the pain and voices were gone, and I was in front of town. I looked at it with nostalgia, remembering the last time I came here with Louise. No one seemed to take notice of my sudden appearance.

"Are you all right partner?" asked Delfringer. I didn't reply, but instead covered my demon arm with my cape, sheathed Delfringer and walked into town. I pushed the unwanted thoughts away, and took the time to thoroughly examine my surroundings, walking on the right side of the road. White marble streets. Men and women in common, leather tunics running about. Stalls left and right, selling various things from apples to pottery. Children playing by the stalls and running across the street. Looking at it now, the street was actually pretty small. Perhaps its because of all the cramped stalls, but the walkway greatly reminded me of new york city. I wordlessly slipped between the crowd, ignoring the looks of all the children and merchants as I walked by.

What the hell am I doing?

My train of thought was cut off when I sensed a sudden flare of magic, followed by a familiar presence east of town, within the forest. I didn't hesitate. I grasped Delfringer's hilt, and accelerated onto the rooftops. With my enhanced strength and speed, I accelerated as fast as I could towards her position.

"_**Michael, you know there's a risk this is a trap don't you?"**_

"I do... but I want to believe in her. I want to believe..." I whispered. The forest entered my field of vision as I reached the edge of town. As I approached the entrance to the forest, I moved faster than the eye could see, as to not show my face to the commoners. Amy's presence became stronger, so I entered the forest, straining my senses to find her.

When I came to a stop, I was surrounded by trees. The winds blew. The dirt and gravel crunched beneath my feet as I turned. The birds sang and the bugs chirped, coming from all directions. I looked everywhere; above to the tree tops, ahead the dirt path, behind me and both sides but there was no sign of her. Where the hell is she? I can sense her, she's close... but where?

I continued my walk, placing my grip on Delfringer as I entered a clearing.

And there she was, sitting on a tree stump, staff in hand. On her forehead her runes shined brightly in the sun. I felt my heart leap into my throat as our eyes met, our childhood flashing before me. I shook my head clear, and examined her. No wounds... How? Didn't Delfringer say I beat them down badly?

"You've come." Amy stood up, breaking my chain of thought. I didn't reply, but instead kept my distance. My hand twitched, itching to unsheathe Delfringer at any sort of threatening movement. I examined her from head to toe, trying to see just how much she's changed. When we were young, she was a skinny little tom boy. Now she had almost fully developed, and it didn't help that her clothes made it hard for me to not stare at her legs. God damn it, this is worse than Cattleya.

"You idiot." Amy pouted, blushing.

"You're calling me the idiot? I don't walk around dressed with half my body exposed. With a tunic that short, you may as well walk around in your underwear. Not that I would mind." I grinned, but I kept my grip strong. She giggled.

"It's been a long time Michael. I've missed you." Amy smiled, but I kept a straight face.

"How are you alive?" Amy was quiet for a moment.

"Astor saved my life. I don't remember the details, but when I 'died', I remember the hospital... but when I woke up again, I was at Master's side. He told me that he summoned me and saved me from death..." I clenched my teeth, seething in anger.

"Saved you from death?! Do you know how many years I... no, all of us cried after you died? Your mother, your father, your brother, everyone from school? Do you know how much I had to do before I could even smile again? And then you suddenly just show up?! You better give me a damn good explanation other than he saved you from death Amy, because I'm really angry right now!" Amy's eyes narrowed.

"Don't talk to me like you were the only one who was sad! Did you know how I felt, suddenly being pulled into a world that I didn't care for? To be ripped away from everything I believed in, to bleed and fight so that I wouldn't die in this god forsaken world?!"

"Well yeah, of course I know. I was pulled here as well! But you know what? I didn't stoop as low as you. I didn't submit to the nobles of this world. I fought back, I gained power, and I earned their fear and respect!" I withdrew Delfringer. Amy's eyes dilated.

"You think I submitted to him?! You think I wanted any of this?!"

There were no more words. Amy lifted up her staff, and I swung Delfringer.

"Fireball!"

"Blazing Fang!"

Our spells collided, causing a massive explosion.I used my demon arm to shield myself from the shock wave as I back flipped away from Amy, putting as much distance as possible between us. The winds rushed as I landed, and I was blown to the side by an invisible hammer. I grunted, ignoring the pain as I flew through the air, slamming into a tree. The dust cleared with a whirlwind, and I saw Amy surrounded by an army of tiny Soldiers. I guessed there were at least 50.

"What the hell are those..?" I wondered as I recovered. The soldiers were small, going no higher than six feet. They wore red, pointed hats, red leather vests, red boots, and had three fingers. The body was a blank, faceless manikin, armed with tiny swords and shields. Before I could ask what they were, Amy interrupted me.

"I am the Myozunitonirun, the brain of God. Just as you, the Gandalf, can use any weapon, I can use any magical artifact."

"Wow, talk about a mouthful. Just a heads up, there's no way I'm going to remember that. But it's no wonder you're the mage of the party. However, don't think that these little toys will be able to take me down!" I shouted, manifesting my phantom arm. With a wide swipe, I cleared the entire area in front of me, tearing the soldiers off their feet, burning them with my blue flames. To my surprise, many of the ones near Amy managed to block my phantom arm with their shields, my phantom passing through them like water. The remaining soldiers split into three groups, took a formation and charged.

Putting some distance between us, I charged up more magic, firing a series of fireballs over a concentrated area. The blasts of the fireballs were wide, setting the forest around us in a blaze. However, the fires were killed off as water geysers spurt from the ground, Amy using Freyja to manipulate the water. Damn it!

"Don't think that these are the only weapons I have! Earth, obey my will!" Amy shouted. The ground shook, and the earth began to crack. Several hands broke free between the cracks, and out from them rose ten gargoyles made of stone.Flapping their bat like wings, they charged, their claws sharp as my sword. They swarmed me like bees, coming from every direction. I tried to fight back, but their numbers were too overwhelming. When I blocked one, another would scratch me from behind. When I attacked one, two more would join him.

"Damn it, get off me!" I shouted. Something welled up within me. The dark power that my other self used surged through me, a shock wave blasting away the gargoyles. My other self's grin flashed within my mind, and an idea came about. I controlled the magic within me, throwing out seven orbs of darkness.

"Summoned swords..." I whispered. The orbs then morphed into transparent, purple longswords, racing towards the gargoyles.Stunned from my shock wave earlier, the swords pierced the gargoyles and exploded, shattering the gargoyles into tiny fragments. The two remaining gargoyles raced towards me, swinging their claws at the same time from both sides of me. I summoned another sword in my right hand, letting the gargoyle to my right run right through it, while parrying the other gargoyle's claws. Before it could get away, I threw the stabbed gargoyle at the other, letting my summoned sword explode, destroying them both. As I turned back to Amy, to my surprise, she smiled.

"You've gotten stronger." Her stance relaxed, and her malice disappeared. Cautiously I lowered Delfringer.

"I aim to please. But anyway, are we still going to fight? You looked like you were about to kill me a second ago." She shook her head.

"I wouldn't be able to win against you anyway. Not after seeing that sword summoning technique, but... We could always practice. For old time's sake." I grinned.

"Now you're talking. Come on Amy, show my how strong you've become!" I raced forward, Delfringer held high as Amy lifted up Freyja. She blocked my strike with her staff.

"Okay, now there's a brain teaser. How the hell are you blocking my metal sword with your wooden staff?" I asked warily, starting a power struggle. To my surprise, Amy was able to match my inhuman strength with ease.

"I don't need to explain how reinforcement works to an amateur magi like you!"

"Amateur?! Oh, now its on!" I grinned. I stopped our power struggle short and diverted Amy's staff, making her fall over. I followed up with an Axe kick to her head, but she rolled to the side as soon as she hit the floor. For the first time in a long time, I untied Delfringer's scarf, summoned four more swords, and thrust them all at her as she recovered. Amy hit the ground with her staff, a wall of earth shielding her from my attacks. I made my summoned swords explode as I pulled Delfringer back, obliterating the wall. However, she wasn't on the other side.

"What?! Where did she-" I started, but the alarms in my head went off. I turned to my right just in time to see Amy back flip kick me me in the face. Dazed, I stumbled backwards, trying to stop the world from spinning.

"Sonic Boom!" I heard Amy shout. That broke me out of my daze, and a hurricane of distorted air rushed at me. I dodged it.

"Seriously? You're stealing moves from street fighter? I'm surprised you didn't say flash kick, Guile. He always was your favourite when we practised at the arcades." I grinned. Amy's serious face faded, and she gave me a grin.

"You're one to talk, Ryu. Firing Hadoken's like no tomorrow."

"Hey, Hadoken is a perfectly legitimate fireball in this world! But if we're talking street fighter..." I sheathed Delfringer, and got ready to throw a fireball. However, Amy was one step ahead of me, and jumped above me. I grinned.

"Gotcha! SHO-RYU-KEN!" I shouted as she dropped in on me. Amy's eyes widened as I timed my words with my attacks. I smashed my left fist into her gut, then my right into her chin, and finally launched her into the air. Amy let out a startled cry, and I followed it up with a familiar spinning kick.

"Tatsumaki Senpuu kyaku!" (Spinning Whirlwind Kick) I yelled out. I jumped into the air, did a 540 spin, and lashed my foot out, striking Amy's chest. She let out another cry as she slid across the floor, her clothes making loud tearing noises. Oops.

"Ugh... I always did hate fighting your Ryu..." grunted Amy as she pushed herself up. Her clothes were loose and began to fall off, making it hard for me to look at her. I felt my face grow hot as she smiled seductively.

"Like what you see?"

"Very much, now do me a favour and hold still while I tear of your clothes!" I grinned, rushing at her. She laughed as well, taking a boxing stance. I threw a kick at her head, but she weaved under it, trying to strike my blind side. Learning from Tabitha, I followed up my kick with another spin, letting her strike my back. As she pulled her hand back, I did a back kick. Amy parried it to the side with her palms, violently slapping my ankle.

"You want these clothes? Work for it ya lazy bum!" laughed Amy. I laughed as well, and I tackled her to the ground. We laughed as we fought each other to stay on top, rolling across the dirt and using dirty tactics. Amy tried to knee me between the legs, and I retaliated with a few headbutts.

"Hey come on, that's not fair!" I cried out as Amy tried to knee me again. I managed to tuck in my legs and block her strike.

"All's fair in love and war!" laughed Amy. We rolled across the ground again, and a loud tear passed our ears. I stared down as I rolled back on top of Amy, who was now bare chested.

"Whoa." I said, dumbfounded as I stared at her breasts. Amy grinned.

"Gotcha!" she cried out, and she finally broke through my defence, and she lightly tapped me between the legs. I yelped out, cursing myself for being so gullible. She rolled me onto my stomach, and pinned my arms behind my back while locking my legs by twisting them together and hyper extending my left ankle. Yelling out in frustration, I struggled, but Amy managed to hold me down. If I moved any more, she would have broken my ankle.

"Okay okay! I give up! You win!" I sighed with defeat. Amy laughed, letting go. I sat up just in time to see Amy walk away, her back exposed. She picked up a duffel bag hidden behind the tree stump, and pulled out a new tunic. She put it on. I grinned as she turned back to me.

"You know, you don't have to do that. I don't mind you being shirtless. But now that I think about it, why aren't you wearing a bra? I'm pretty sure they have those in this world."

"You're an idiot" she replied, sticking her tongue out at me like a child. I laughed, and she walked back to me with two water skins in hand. She handed me one.

"Here, for your hard work." I took the skin and hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry, it's not poisoned. Just drink it." said Amy, taking a swig out of her water skin. I looked down at the water, trying to sense any anomalies. When I felt nothing, I took a sip and waited for a minute. Then I took another, and eventually drank the whole thing. The both of us laid ourselves on the ground, staring at the open sky.

"I'm really glad you're alive you know." I said after a few minutes of silence. She hummed in agreement.

"It was hard being in this world at first... but I eventually got used to it."

"You mean getting used to killing?" I replied, sitting up. She didn't say anything, just stared blankly at the sky.

"I came here to warn you."

"About what?" I laid myself on my side.

"Master Astor plans on declaring another war against Tristein in an attempt to get you."

"What does he want with me?" Amy's face turned serious, and we both sat up.

"He wants to use your power to unlock the secrets of this world's past. He wants to bring back the black beast."

"What?! But why?! Doesn't he know about the kind of destruction the black beast caused? What it's even made of?!" Amy shook her head.

"That I don't know. When I was summoned, Jack and King were both already working for Astor. I've been with him for five years since..."

"... Since you died." Amy nodded.

"I needed to warn you. I just... I don't want to lose you again..." Amy placed her hand on my demon arm, and I stroked her cheek with my free hand.

"It'll be okay. I'll stop him and set you free, I promise." Amy smiled, and stood up. I followed suit.

"I need to leave. I have to report back to Master... Besides, your friends are here." said Amy. I turned my head as I heard the sounds of flapping wings from a distance.

"Will I see you again?" I asked, turning back around. However, Amy was gone, as if she vanished into thin air. I scratched my head as Sylphid entered my field of vision, waving to the others with my free hand.

"Huh, so that's what it feels like... No wonder the Justice League hates it when Batman does that." Before I could further ponder on the subject, Louise's voice broke my train of thought.

"Michael! Are you alright? What happened?!" Called out Louise, jumping off Sylphid as he landed. Kirche and Tabitha followed, critically examining our surroundings.

"Are you alright? Does anything still hurt? Did any of those mercenaries attack you?!" shouted Louise, panicking. She flailed her arms wildly, examining me from head to toe. I laughed.

"Relax, everything is fine now."

"Are you sure? It seems like you got into quite the fight before we arrived." said Kirche, joining Louise's side. I took note of the distance she kept from me. Well, at least with this she won't keep on molesting me. Tabitha approached me after settling down Sylphid, whacking me on the head with her staff.

"No more running. Princess needs us."

"What do you mean she needs us?" I replied. Louise stepped in.

"The princess told us that she wanted us to meet her at the castle after we found you."

"And judging from the situation, it's probably got to do with what happened at the academy." interrupted Kirche. Louise nodded, and I sighed.

"Alright, let's head on over. I have some intel for the princess anyway."

"What do you mean?" asked Louise?

"I ran into Amy here. We sparred a little bit, and she gave me some inside information about Astor's plans." I said, casually scratching my head. Their eye's bulged.

"You what?!" said Kirche and Louise in unison. I flinched in pain, making a mental note to learn how to control my senses. Seriously, everything has just become so _loud_.

"I told you, I have intelligence that may turn whatever battle is coming in our favour. Now if you don't mind, can we hurry up and go?" I sighed, walking towards Sylphid. We all hopped onto Sylphid's back, and set out for the castle.

...

_**Location: Abandoned mansion North of Galia**_

Amy knelt before her master as he silently observed her from his throne. His features hidden from view by his full brown cloak, Amy was glad that she did not have to look at the face of her master.

However, his narrow yellow eyes were not so easy to deal with.

"Report." said Astor. His voice was deep and calm, but the cold bitterness within was not hard to miss.

"Yes master. I have planted the information, just as you have asked. Everything is going according to your plan." replied Amy, her voice devoid of emotion. Michael's face flashed in her mind, and she stomped down on it, ridding herself of all feeling. She couldn't afford to let her Master know of her emotions. Doing so would put at risk everything she gambled for that afternoon. She was not supposed to have conversed with him the way she did. No, she was only supposed to be a mediator between Michael and Astor, and Astor did not take such disobedience lightly.

Astor grunted, standing from his throne. Amy's heart began to race as he approached her, his heavy footsteps booming in the abandoned hall. She held her ground, but she could not stop herself from shaking ever so slightly.

"Stand." commanded Astor. With all her strength, she suppressed her shaking, and stood tall. Her master's hand shot out from underneath his cloak, grabbing her neck, choking her. Amy let out a strangled cry, attempting to pry away from her Master's grip. However, he was too strong, and lifted her off the ground with ease. A black fog leaked from underneath his cloak, her master's yellow eyes became slits, and from the corner of her eye, his skin changed to a pale ashen grey.

"Your feelings for the Gandalf are growing stronger." said Astor. His voice now had a demonic echo, and was colder than his usual calm demeanour. He dug his fingers into her throat, completely depriving her from breathing. She had been found out.

"P-Please forgive... me... my master..." Amy struggled, but she felt herself losing her consciousness. Her grip weakened, and Astor then tossed her away like a rag doll. Amy entered a coughing fit as she landed on her back, and Astor walked up to her, grabbing her by her hair.

"Do not forget that you still serve me."

...

DUN DUN DUN! Michael's not the only one with the black beast's power!

But anyway, thats' the end of that chapter. Sorry this took so long. I wanted to add so much more, but I couldn't find a way to fit it all in the way I wanted without disrupting the storyline. In any case, whatever I didn't put here will be explained in the next chapter. Sorry for the wait, R&R!


	36. Mad World Vision

Change my Destiny Chapter 36: Mad World Vision

There are a lot of things that I have always regretted doing in my life. For one thing, there was a time on Earth when I did not take the opportunity to enter a martial arts tournament, feeling that I was not ready. Thinking about it now, I could have used the extra experience, win or lose. There were also times when I got into fights with my family, something that we've forgiven over the years. But still, life has it's ups and downs, and to be honest without these ups and downs life would be even more boring than it already is.

Still, I can't help but think that it was a bad idea to take on Louise, Tabitha and four of Guiche's golems all at once, and without my weapons to boot.

Tabitha rushed me, using swift, almost superhuman movements to approach me. She knew that I was more than capable of fighting warriors and magi stronger than me, still, she needed to use every single advantage, every single ability that would put her at my level, no matter how small. After all, with all of the power ups that I have received over my time in Tristein (which had approximately been almost eight months, surprisingly), who could blame her? Guiche stood at the far back of the clearing with Louise, waving his wand. His golems followed Tabitha in a formation similar to how birds fly in the air. Tabitha attacked, throwing a swift kick to my head. I dodged under her kick, grinning briefly as I took a good look at her plain white panties.

"You know, white doesn't suit you. Have you ever thought of taking of of Kirche's red lingerie? Maybe ask her for some blue frills?" I grinned. Tabitha blushed deeply, her eyes narrowing as she picked up her speed, throwing a back kick. I nimbly dodged to the side, backing off. Two Guiche's golems followed up, trying to strike me with their fists.

"_**You sure know how to sweet talk the ladies."**_ said Illimite as I easily dodged the golem's coordinated attacks, smashing their heads together as I did so. I surged magic into my left leg, reinforcing it, making it three times as tough. I threw a strong roundhouse kick, beheading one of the golems. Tabitha tried to close in on me again, but I stopped her by punching Guiche's other golem through the chest with my demon arm, using it as a shield. Then, as Tabitha halted, I tore the golem to shreds from the inside, tossing its remains at her. She swiftly dashed away.

Trusting my instincts, I back flipped as a surge of magic rushed through the air. On cue, a concentrated explosion destroyed the ground between Tabitha and I, as well as Guiche's other two golems. I heard him let out a cry of protest as Tabitha burst out of the dust cloud, throwing a tornado kick.

"Come on Tab, enough flashing! Lets make this close and personal!" I said as I ducked under her attack. As she landed, I pulled her into a clinch, kneeing her in the gut. Tabitha let out a small 'urk', tightening her abdominal to take the blow. She tried to break free, which I countered by throwing her off balance, forcing her to move with me as I violently turned in place. Realizing it was pointless, Tabitha craftily tripped me as I tried to throw her balance off again, loosening my grip just enough to break free. As she backed off, I followed, thrusting my knee forward. She dodged to the side and punched me across the face, stunning me. Holy crap, I'm seeing stars! That was one hell of a punch.

"Son of a.." I started. Taking advantage of my stun, Tabitha tried to punch me again. Giving my head a good shake, I dodged just in time as Tabitha threw a spinning backhand. I tried to dash away, but another one of Guiche's golems came from behind me, grabbing me in a bear hug. How the hell did I not sense him?! I retaliated by throwing my head backwards, slamming it into the golem's face. The golem's grip weakened, and I broke free, kicking it in the groin area, leaving a huge dent. The golem, its center of balance now broken, fell helplessly. I curb stomped its head to oblivion.

"Not bad, for a tinker toy." I said, during off my clothes. Another surge of magic followed, and I moved backwards, only to be thrown back by a set of smaller, concentrated explosions, rather than the big bang Louise preferred to use. She was learning. I dashed away from Tabitha, charging at Louise. She swiftly backed away, shuffling her feet like how I taught her. Guiche stood between us, taking the boxing stance I showed him. I grinned.

"Alright ya obnoxious Casanova! Let's rock!"I grinned.

"Don't think it will be as easy as the last time we fought! I, Guiche de Gramont, have improved much during my time in the military!" announced Guiche as he threw a punch at my head. I dodged, retaliating with a spinning hook kick. He dodged it, ducking as he stepped in.

"Yeah, improved. Whatever makes you sleep at night buddy!" I kneed Guiche's forehead, making him snap backwards. He used his momentum to roll back, giving his head a good shake as I pursued him with a jumping knee thrust. He dodged to my left, trying to counter me the same way Tabitha did earlier. I parried his punch with my left hand, pulling him towards me for another knee strike. Guiche took the blow, tightening his abdominal, and tried to headbutt me. I headbutted him back in return, giving us both a good moment of stunned silence.

I recovered first, just in time to see Tabitha try and kick me from behind. I used Guiche as a human shield, only to be surprised when Tabitha, instead of lashing out with a kick, swooped towards the ground, dashing forward with astonishing speed. She was so low to the ground I was sure she would tip over. She then rose back up in an arc, flipping over Guiche with a Ballerina's grace, using his shoulders for support. As she came behind me, she tried to knee me in the head. I blocked it, only to receive a punch to the liver from Guiche. Tabitha then pushed off me, springing backwards with a mid air back flip. Guiche followed it up, hoisting me over his shoulder, then slamming me into the ground.

"Good, good! You guys are getting better!" I grinned, willing down the pain. I lashed out with a right hook, catching Guiche right in the jaw. Stunned, he fell onto the ground. Tabitha pounced forward, trying to stomp on me. I rolled to the side, grabbing both her legs and standing up at the same time. I tucked her legs under my arms, and with a laugh, began to violently spin. After five full turns, I let go, tossing Tabitha a good 30 feet away.

Ah, wrestling will always have a special place in my heart.

With a confident smirk, I shook off my dizziness and charged at Louise. She lifted up her wand, causing another explosion, forcing me to block it with my demon arm. I pressed onward, not letting her get away. I finally closed in on Louise, taking a boxing stance. Louise responded in kind, taking a Muay Thai stance. I threw a quick one two punch combo, followed by a spinning hook kick. Louise barely parried the first punch and dodged the other two attacks, ducking low. She tried to trip me, only to cry out in pain as I countered her sweep by putting all my weight onto my one foot. Louise retreated and Tabitha came back from behind me, grabbing me the sleeper hold I showed her. We struggled for a second, Tabitha holding on for dear life and me trying not to black out. Good God, she may be small, but she's incredibly strong!

Thinking quickly, I shifted my weight, throwing it forward in a standard shoulder throw. However, since Tabitha was holding me, throwing her was out of the question. Instead, I followed the throw with a jump, landing on Tabitha. Tabitha let out a strangled cry, crushed by the combined weight of my body and gravity. It's a good thing I was wearing only trousers and my boots, or that would have hurt a lot!

"Sorry Tab, hope I didn't break one of your nails. Tell you what; next time we go to town, I'll pay for your manicure." I said nonchalantly. Tabitha's grip weakened, and I pushed myself up. I then quickly examined my surroundings; everyone was down.

"Well, that's another win for me." I grinned, dusting off my trousers. I turned back to Tabitha, who was struggling to push herself up. I extended my hand, and she accepted.

"Heavy." said Tabitha as I pulled her up. I grinned, looking down at her tattered and sweaty uniform.

"Of course I am. Although, I do think I went a little overboard... You're a toothpick. Have you ever considered gaining weight?" I grinned again, pointing at her flat chest. Tabitha karate chopped my head as I laughed, turning towards Guiche. He groaned as I crouched down by his side.

"I gotta say Guiche, you've impressed me. I never would have thought I'd see the day when you could actually put up a decent fight. Still, you've got a lot to learn." I grinned. Guiche groaned again, sitting up. Looks like my right hook knocked him out.

"Truly, your master must have been terrifying, to teach you to use your body so efficiently. Even with the three of us, our strength was no match." he replied, rubbing his sore jaw.

"You almost had me, I'll give ya that. At least, Tabitha almost had me. You did good though. Better than last time anyway." I helped him up, turning to Louise. She managed to stand up, putting her weight on her good leg.

"You alright Louise?" I asked. She gave me a flustered look.

"I don't understand! I did everything perfectly, how did you not fall?"

"Uhh, well for one thing, I was putting all my body weight on that one leg. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't notice it. I told you before Louise, sweeps are used when you are absolutely sure that your opponent will trip. And look" I replied, pointing down at my feet. "You struck at my ankles. While it does work for tripping, you should be aiming for the back of my foot. Not only would it have hurt less if you did that, the least you could have done was throw me off my balance. Also, you didn't even have to do a sweep. You could have done a low kick to my knees or an elbow strike to my stomach." I stood up again, and Louise shook her head in frustration, only to be interrupted by another voice.

"And Darling wins once again! Ah, your fighting is so elegant! The way you moved your body just drove me crazy... I can't wait for you to show me what else you can handle..." cried out Kirche as we walked over. She latched onto me, ignoring Louise's protests as we sat down. Guiche simply sighed, and Tabitha took out a book. Looks like her fear of me finally subsided.

"Dinner's ready!" called out Siesta, holding a pot of fresh soup. I sighed with relief.

"Good, cause I'm getting hungry!" I smiled, shrugging Kirche off. [She struggled, trying to hold on, but I was persistent on getting her off. I wanted to eat!]

"Kirche! Just let him go already!" shouted Louise, finally having enough. She stood up, prying her off of me. I gave her a thankful smile. Kirche pouted, finally keeping her hands to herself. I turned back to Siesta as she handed out bowls of soup.

"Thanks a lot Siesta." I said, gratefully taking the food. Siesta smiled back.

"Of course, Master! Attending your every need is why I'm here! Please, don't hesitate to ask me anything!" replied Siesta. She blushed as I grinned at her.

"All of my needs?" I said seductively, winking. Kirche's mouth dropped, and Siesta looked down on the ground, her body swaying side to side.

"Darling, if you wanted me to role play as a maid for you, I, Kirche the passion, would be so happy to oblige!" said Kirche dramatically. She tried to pounce on me, only for Louise to stop her again. I grinned at Louise, who gave me a menacing glare.

"Oh no... all of Master's needs? He could... He could...!" whispered Siesta. A shrill 'Kyaaa' followed, causing Guiche and I to move in, catching the falling pot as Siesta placed her hands on her cheeks.

"No! My food!" we cried out. Louise let out a huff.

"Men." she said. I grinned at her.

It has been approximately two weeks since my encounter with Amy. I had informed Henrietta of the news, and I was surprised when she said she wanted to strike back as soon as possible. We, as in Henrietta, her advisor, and I, had a massive argument about it. Charging into enemy territory is fine and all, but with the amount of forces that we had, especially after the battle at Tarbes, we simply weren't prepared. Not to mention the fact that Henrietta's marriage with Germania still hasn't happened yet, meaning that our ties with them were still in the grey zone. They could help us especially since they did not like Albion themselves (I have Kirche to thank for that), but that doesn't mean that they won't stab us in the back. Also, the fact that Albion simply came and fed us this information probably meant that it was a trap that greatly benefited them. For one thing, they could already be prepared, and charging in with our forces would just cause us to crumble. On the other hand, whether or not they were prepared, if we did not attack they could use the time we gave them to fortify what they have. They wanted us to get confused.

In the end, we decided that we would have three weeks to prepare ourselves and solidify our alliance with Germania. During the fourth week, before their announcement, we're to attempt to capture their ports in Saxe-Gotha, slowly spreading ourselves out. Saxe-Gotha, apparently, was the main port for Albion's travel. All of the other branches were interconnected with this one port, allowing trade to happen at a consistent rate. If we were to capture it, we could guarantee ourselves a supply source, however limited it may be.

The hard part was what came after.

The Silver Pentecost. It is the equivalent of New Years on Earth and takes place, if all our plans go well, a few days after we capture Saxe-Gotha. Henrietta wanted to plan a peace treaty with Albion during this time, a sort of day of reprieve for our soldiers. Tradition takes precedence I suppose. Henrietta's adviser, Bishop Masari, agreed, but I wasn't so willing. The prime example I used was the recent attack on the school. They were willing to strike in the middle of summer break, when our force was weakest. They would most likely not hesitate to do so again. Henrietta was insistent, and in the end I decided to let it go, making sure that the Generals would inform their battalions of the plan.

All these plans led up to now. Since the school was destroyed, Osmond issued a closure until further notice. Many of the students went back to their families, while Louise, Tabitha, Kirche and I stayed at the palace with Henrietta's help. Guiche was the anomaly. He and I met on accident at the training grounds during one of his sessions. He's improved a lot. He's still a Casanova, but his fighting technique has improved to the point where he can make solid golems now rather than the hollow pieces of armour he used to make. I was interested in seeing how much stronger he's become, and was pleasantly surprised when we sparred.

I also wanted to train Louise. Her battlefield experience wasn't exactly the greatest, and I figured teaching her martial arts would help in terms of her experience, which was horrible. The first few days she couldn't even stand after our sessions. Tabitha originally was just dragged along by Kirche, who wanted to watch, but after seeing me teach Louise, she asked me to teach her as well. I wasn't against teaching her, but in exchange I had her teach me how to read and write. I could have asked Louise, but I figured Tabitha would be better. I mean, she's always reading, and Louise would probably just blow me up if I kept frustrating her.

As for Siesta, it turns out she was safe this entire time. From what she told me, she stayed in town with her uncle and cousin who ran a bar. When she came back to find the school destroyed, she was assigned to me by Osmond as my personal maid. She gladly took it, expressing her gratitude and happiness through her work. It was quite handy, considering what has been happening as of late. Also, with Siesta's help, our training was able to progress very smoothly, and taking care of our personal health and hunger were no longer an issue.

"What's wrong with wanting a good meal? Besides, you like Siesta's cooking too!" I replied to Louise. She gave a huff, sitting down with Tabitha and Kirche. Guiche and I sat across from them while Siesta served us our food, shamelessly ogling at my bare chest as she did so. Louise kept her mouth clamped shut, turning away as she did so. Guiche was completely oblivious, Tabitha had her face in a book, and Kirche... was Kirche.

"Oh Darling, are your muscles sore from all your fighting? Here, let me massage them for you!" she purred, shifting herself closer to me. Siesta's eyes widened.

"Oh! Please, let me!" cried out Siesta, placing her hands on my shoulders. Kirche wrapped her arms around my chest, trying to drag me away.

"While I love having such beautiful women fight over me," I commented, giving Louise a wry smile as she glared at me again, "let me eat first. If you do that... then you two can share me." I winked. Siesta nearly fainted, Kirche squealed with delight, rambling on how she finally cracked my shell, and Louise stood up, wand out. Whoops.

"YOU STUPID DOG! EXPLOSION!"

...

"Okay, I'll admit that I deserved that one. But did you really have to blow up the entire clearing? Now we have to find a new training ground!" I said to Louise as we walked through the city. It was the middle of the day so stores were busy, everyone was talking, and children were playing. And while it was subtle, the commoners made way for us to walk through. Some of the commoners bowed, no longer flinching with fright as I passed by, and others simply went about their business. A few of the children awed at my arm, still surprised no matter how many times I passed by. Some of the shop keepers I knew waved at me, trying to get me to buy more of their products, mainly weapons and fruit. I humbly declined, saying I would come back at sunset. Louise ignored me, looking straight ahead and picking up her pace. I sighed; I could deal with her later. Right now we had to report ourselves back to Henrietta.

I tugged at my armour, flinching as I did so. Louise really didn't hold back during that one, and since I wasn't wearing my armour, I was burnt pretty badly. It didn't help that Kirche and Siesta were pinning me down, otherwise I would have blocked it with my demon arm. I couldn't block the spell without literally throwing them off and into a tree. I looked at the others behind me, who shared my sentiments. For the most part, everyone was fine thanks to Tabitha's healing. We were just sore. The castle guard gave me us all a curt look as we approached. I nodded back, and he signalled the scouter high above us, who sat on a deck viewing the entire city.

But then it happened again.

My vision flashed white, and I found myself in a black and white world, staring into the eyes of the same guard. The guard's wand sword was out, he was in a battle ready stance, and several other guards joined him. His lips were moving, but the world was eerily silent, and yet... I knew what he was saying.

"_You! How dare you mock us, the knight's of Tristein! I'll have your head for that insult mongrel! Don't think that just because you defeated Wardes, that we will suddenly respect you!"_

I felt a growing anger within me. I felt myself reach for my sword, but a hand gestured for me to stop. I felt reluctance as Louise stepped forward.

"_My name is Louise Francoise la blanc de la Valliere. We are here to deliver a message to the princess." _The guard's expression changed. Cautiously, he lowered his guard.

"_Miss Valliere... So you have come. Yes, the princess has been expecting you. However, I will not allow such a disrespectful commoner stand in the princess' presence! To do so would be a disgrace to-" _he started, but I felt myself move forward. Louise tried to stop me, but I accelerated past her, and in front of the guard. He let out a silent yelp, the anger within me growing stronger. I gave him one glance, then walked past him.

I didn't hear his voice, but I knew he was calling out to me, telling me to stop. I kept walking forward, intent on ignoring the worthless whelp. The guard, I knew somehow, then grabbed my shoulder, and I whirled around, punching him hard in the face with my right hand, breaking his nose. The guard fell on the ground, and Louise came up to me, giving me a terrified look. I glanced at her, then back to the guard, spitting on his face.

"_Stop me again and I'll do more than break your pretty face."_

My vision flashed white again, and I found myself back in the coloured world, the sudden sound hurting my ears. I flinched, holding in the pain as the guard waved to the one above us, who responded in kind.

I don't know how or why, but for the past two weeks I've been seeing these... visions for lack of better word. Whenever I interact with certain people, I see the same world, yet a different scenario from the one before me at the time. A few days ago, I had a vision with Tabitha, when she was teaching me how to read this world's characters. In my scenario, she silently taught me how to write the characters, carefully instructing me with every mistake. I silently corrected myself, taking in her instruction without question.

In my vision, the two of us were close, lying against Sylphid's belly, chatting away without a care in the world. She wasn't teaching me, we were just hanging out, talking about various things from what stories she's read, to the myths and legends that existed in my world. Sylphid growled happily as it watched the two of us, a big smile on its face, and kept trying to get us to sit closer together. Due to Sylphid's constant acts of passive aggression, Tabitha fell in my arms, making her as red as a tomato. I laughed, and we stayed like that, watching the clouds pass by in the open sky. I was pulled out however when, as it turns out, Sylphid roared into my ear. Freaking hurt like hell. Tabitha said I blanked out for a full minute.

I had another vision as well, a week before today. I was in Colbert's lab, picking up notes for reading and cleaning up his shack when it hit. The two of us were chatting, trading theories from our realms, Colbert fascinated by the idea of technology. I explained to him various things, from our medieval era, the legends of the Greek Gods, our technology and the two world wars...

Just what were these visions? From what I can tell, they're different dimensions of my life, where I made different choices. But why? How? Was this world's God, or whatever higher entity that existed here, trying to show me?

"Michael? Are you alright?" asked Louise, snapping me out of my train of thought. I shook my head.

"No... I'm fine. Let's go." I replied, walking forward as calmly as possible, heading straight for the castle. Bishop Masari stood at the entrance, approaching us as we closed in.

"Ah, Sir Michael, there you are. I assume your training went well?" he asked, eyeing Louise. I gave him a wry smile.

"You know how it is."

"The towns people saw the explosion. It caused quite the commotion you know. Still, nothing I cannot handle." replied the Bishop. Louise flinched, sighing to herself.

"I'm sorry about that. Does the Queen require our presence?" asked Louise.

"The Queen wishes to speak with Sir Michael alone. The rest of you are to return to your quarters and wait for further orders." he sighed, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. Louise gave me a wondered look, and I returned it. What could she possibly want?

"Did she say anything else?" I asked. Kirche said something behind us, walking past Louise, Masari and I. Guiche bowed and Tabitha curtseyed as they passed, excusing themselves. Masari gave them a quick nod. "She did not say anything of the sort. She only told me she wished to see you in private. I would assume it would be for preparation of our assault on Albion?" he eyed me warily, and I sighed.

"You have nothing to worry about Bishop Masari. I am sure it is just another political discussion."

"I would hope so. We wouldn't want anything to happen to our alliance with Germania." he sighed again. My eyes flashed. I did not like the king of Germania. He was a major asshole, thinking he was the center of the universe.

"How did the negotiations go with Germania? Is the king as uptight as usual? Seriously, he needs to get laid." I sighed, scratching the back of my head. The bishop ignored my comment, already used to my asinine personality.

"Michael, be respectful!" hissed Louise. I ignored her.

"The negotiations went smoothly, but the King is still unsure of the situation. The biggest factor is you. He believes you to be a demon sent by the elves, intent on betraying us after we are finished with Albion."

"Then tell him to pull his stick out of his ass. I already placed my allegiance with Tristein, and worked hard to get the commoners and nobles to see me as a formidable ally. I don't need to beat up a few more of the Tristein guards do I? I sure hope not. We already have enough struggle with our forces as is." I sighed angrily. It was true. When I first announced my powers to the public, all of the commoners avoided me like the plague, and the Nobles treated me like an Elf, which apparently were monsters of the forest, who feast on human flesh and use magic far beyond that of magic humans have. Man, what a major contrast from Earth's elves, who were peaceful, wise forest dwellers.

"No, another tournament is not needed. The last we had already increased your renown amongst the populous. The commoners see you as a hero now."

"No doubt it will die down some time down the line. As long as the nobles and commoners don't treat me like a god damn virus, then I'm okay with it."

"I will make sure it is so. In any case, for now the Queen requires your presence. Please proceed to her quarters. Miss Valliere, please wait in your room for further orders."

...

**Louise POV**

I sat on the edge of my bed, my legs alternatively swinging back and forth, staring at the floor. Delfringer silently laid against the wall. My mind wandered aimlessly, jumping from one thing to another, until finally I sighed, placing my hands on my face.

I knew something was wrong with Michael, and after recent events, I can't help but wonder where this will take us.

The signs were obvious. four times in the past two weeks he blanked out, suddenly lost to the world. Some of them were only for a few seconds, others lasted minutes. The first time I noticed was when we reported back to Henrietta two weeks ago. As soon as he stepped through the doors into the throne room, he froze for a split second. I had to nudge him forward before he started moving again. At first I was worried his powers were acting up again, but when he insisted he was fine, I brushed it off. Not without a good argument mind you.

The second time was when he was in Colbert's shack, cleaning up and taking whatever Colbert had left. I had thought it was him reminiscing, wondering how he could have saved Colbert, so once again, I brushed it off. It wasn't until the third event that I started to worry again.

Tabitha came up to me about it. While she was teaching him how to read and write, he suddenly blanked out for a good minute. She tried everything. She cast spells, shook him, but nothing worked. It wasn't until Sylphid roared into his ear that he came to. He was angry about the roaring, but said nothing about his sudden blanking. Then there was today, when he blanked out at the castle gateway. It was only a few seconds, but it was enough to make me worry.

Just what is going on? Why won't he tell me about it? Does it have to do with his powers?

His powers. Surprised didn't even come close to describing how I felt when I found out his origins. The descendant of an elf and the vessel of an ancient dragon? What madness! It would make sense though. His lust for power, his ability to use magic, it all makes sense.

The destruction he caused at the academy flashed in my mind. I shook my head, breaking free of it, but even then, the look on his face when he was berserk, the look of deranged madness in his eyes... just thinking about it makes me quake with fright.

I placed my hands on my head, falling into the mattress.

"Everything has become so complicated ever since I summoned him... Just what am I supposed to do?"

"Something wrong princess?" asked Delfringer.

"Something is wrong with Michael, but he hasn't told me anything about it. I worried."

"Have you tried... I don't know, asking him what's wrong?" I raised my wand, causing a small, concentrated explosion. Delfringer coughed as the smoke cleared, very upset.

"I can see why Michael wouldn't want to confide in a spoiled, temperamental noble girl. Drives him nuts he told me." said Delfringer, coughing. I threatened to blow him up again, but I sighed, rubbing my temples. Doing so would not bring me any results, despite what little comfort it brought. My mind wandered again, thinking about the last two weeks.

Michael had been training me in what he called "Taekwondo", a kicking martial art that he learned in his works. It was tough at first, but Michael was a good teacher and I managed to learn the movements quickly. The problem was the execution and endurance. He mad me do all sorts of exercise to build up, what he called, my cardio-something system. I don't remember what it was.

We also tried experimenting with my magic, which had been mysteriously improving over the two weeks. Delfringer told me that it was my power growing, and we threw my magic into the mix of our training. Now I could cast explosions without the need of incantation, but I still needed to chant for dispel. Neutral spells, such as levitation and ignite, no longer caused the massive explosions as before. But even with all of these results, it wasn't enough. I wanted to improve more, I wanted to catch up to Michael, who was already so far ahead of me.

"Michael... you stupid dog." I whispered, hugging my knees. There was another thing about him that changed. His affection for me has gone down considerably. Long gone are the loving glances, the passionate smiles, the loving embraces... No, instead there was a cold wall between us. He would still treat me normally, but long gone was the love he showed me. Did he really think I would not notice his snarky, perverted comments to Siesta and Kirche? Perverted Dog! Even today, he mentioned letting Kirche and Siesta 'share him'... Sharing? What kind of kinky perverted things did that dog think of?!

But think about it... sharing him would be...

"No. NO. Stop thinking about it. Don't you dare go there, you are a Valliere! Get a hold of yourself!" I cried out, pulling my hair in frustration.

"You know, I've lived for a long time little princess. I've seen a lot of things, and if there's one thing I see here, it's lack of communication." said Delfringer. I turned to him, my sudden anger and distress gone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, its obvious that what partner's been doing for the past two weeks has been bothering you. I noticed it too. He seems cold... distant somehow. It bothers you doesn't it?" Delfringer said, hitting the mark. My head dropped, and I nodded reluctantly.

"So then why haven't you talked to him yet? Communication from both sides is important in any relationship Louise. You can't read his mind, and he can't read yours. It's up to both of you to speak about it. Who knows? Maybe partner is waiting for you to talk to him. So get off your butt and go talk to him." said Delfringer. I made him explode again, but deep down I knew he was right.

It was time for me to take action.

I stood up from my bed, heading towards Henrietta's chambers.

…...

**Michael POV **

I politely knocked on the door to Henrietta's chambers before entering, making sure that the hallway was clear as I did so. Henrietta, who sat on a desk beside her massive king sized bed, was going over piles of paper work. Amidst them, I noticed a note on her desk with Germania's seal on it.

"Hail, Queen of Tristein, beloved Henrietta! You have called for me, and I have appeared. How may I be of service, oh mighty one?" I said dramatically, bowing for effect. Henrietta giggled in response.

"At last, dear knight of Tristein! Ah, such comfort I feel in your presence, to know that my trusted guard is here to defend me in times of strife! Your infinite jests and most excellent fancy never to fail me in times of squander and sorrow. To you I say, may the God and his saints bless you!" Henrietta replied in return, also dramatically standing up. She balled her hands together in prayer, bringing them close to her chest. We both paused before entering another giggling fit.

"Ah man, I always loved acting. You're not so bad yourself princess. Maybe one day we could go visit the theatre." I said with a wink. She smiled, but I could not help but notice the black lines under her eyes. She was exhausted, and judging from the paper work she wasn't getting a break any time soon.

"That would be wonderful. I haven't been to a theatre in a long time. Not since I was 12."

"How old are you now, if you don't mind me asking?" I replied. I motioned towards the seats, but we ended up sitting on her bed.

"Asking a woman her age, have you no shame?" Henrietta laughed. "I'm 17. I will be turning 18 soon though."

"Ah, so a year older than me huh?" I grinned.

"What? You're 16? You look so much older." said Henrietta, surprised. I chuckled.

"Really? Back where I come from, people say I look my age. But anyway, according to Louise, I've only been here for 8 months or so. Honestly? It feels like I've been here much longer than that. But on the case of birthdays, I don't know what the months are called here, but in my world my birthday is on the fourth day of the first month of the year."

"Wow! If that's the case, your birthday is three days after the Silver Pentecost!"

"Huh, really? How many months are there here? If it helps, I came during Louise's summon ceremony thing."

"There are twelve months in the year. We are in the last month of this year." informed Henrietta. I let out a small 'ahh' in response. If what she said was true, then I was summoned during this world's august equivalent. Wow, their school goes on for quite a while. Silence crept into the room, the only sounds being the shuffling of our clothes. Henrietta did not seem to mind, so I waited patiently for her to finally tell me why she wanted to see me.

She sighed.

"I wish things could be as simple as this... us just chatting the days away in each others company." Henrietta sighed, slumping. I listened intently, not daring to interrupt. "The reason I called you here is because I wanted to speak to you about the alliance with Germania." Okay, that got my attention.

"What about Germania? Did something happen?" I asked. Henrietta nodded.

"Germania's King has decided to cancel his marriage with me."

"What?! But why?!" I said, eyes bulging. Henrietta shook her head, not wanting to continue. I reluctantly calmed down, trying to think why the hell Germania would do such a thing.

"Have you announced it to the public yet?" I asked after calming down.

"We spoke about it for a while. Germania will still fight with us, but with the marriage proposal over, we won't be secure militarily." I nodded in response, understanding. Masari had explained it to me before. The whole point of the marriage was because Tristein will be vulnerable during and after the whole escapade with Albion. If we had Germania on our side, at least we had more troops to assemble. Not anymore it seems.

"Don't worry Henrietta. If there's anything you will ever need, just call for me. I'm sure Louise would also do the same." I got off the bed and knelt before her. "This to you I swear: I will do my utmost to protect you and this country to the very end. At your order I shall fight; at your command I shall die." I told her from the bottom of my heart. While I was not born here, I had become attached to Tristein. I was willing to do whatever it took to protect it and it's people.

"Don't say such things. I would never order you or anyone I love to die for my sake. Losing all of you would be losing my will to live. I lost a loved one once, I don't want it to happen again." said Henrietta, picking me up. Her expression was sad, yet determined. She meant what she had said. We were silent for a moment, holding onto each others hands. Henrietta stroke my demon arm, and I remained still, relishing the warmth of her hand and company.

"You know, when I was a child, I always wanted to be a super hero." I said in the silence. Henrietta gave me a look of confusion, and I simply smiled, staring up at the ceiling as I sat back on her bed.

"A super hero? What's the difference between a super hero and a hero?" she asked, intrigued. She sat back down with me.

"It's kind of hard to explain. I'll start off with explaining how my world works. In my world, we didn't have magic. We have science. Technology, machines, things of that nature." I paused, letting her absorb the information.

"Anyways, my world didn't have anyone with special powers. We didn't have healing magic, we used herbs and medicine developed from hundreds of years of research. We used to use carriages and horses, but when our countries expanded and technology grew, we got things like my Zero fighter, and something called cars." Henrietta gave me a puzzled look. "Think of it this way. It's a smaller, ground type model of my Zero fighter, capable of holding five to ten people depending on the size and model of the car. It can't fly, but it moves across the ground very, very fast. I remember seeing an ad about it. It mentioned the car moving at... what was it? 200 horse power?"

"You mean it can move as fast as if it were being pulled by 200 horses? That's amazing!" she cried out. I nodded.

"It is. But anyway, like I said, all of this came from hundreds of thousands of years of research and development. As such, magic was considered fairy tale material. We didn't have dragons, we didn't have elves, we didn't have any of the majestic creatures you have here. In fact, if we were in my world, this universe would make a pretty damn good book. This is where super hero's come in. Super hero's are basically, fictional heroes with special powers."

"What kind of powers?"

"My personal favourite is a superhero named Spiderman. His real name is Peter Parker, his super hero name Spiderman. Before he got his powers he was considered a scientific genius, but ever since he was young he would always be bullied. He was smart, but he wasn't physically active. It didn't help that he went to a school that thrived on its sports teams. Also, his parents mysteriously left him when he was young, only to die in an accident, making him live with his aunt and uncle."

"That's horrible! What happened to him after?"

"Well, he grew up doing the best he could. Through his uncle and aunt's love he was able to become a respectable man with a promising future, until his fateful day. The day he got his powers." I paused, letting Henrietta think. She leaned in closer.

"And then? How did he get his powers?"

"He went to a laboratory that was studying spiders. They were studying the different species, their habits, eating patterns, their abilities and so on. They had managed to create a super spider that had all of the positive qualities of every spider in existence. Super strength, super speed, incredibly strong webbing, and the like. However, the spider was on the verge of dying, and in order to preserve itself, it bit Peter, transferring it's abilities unto him, giving him fantastic abilities. He had the strength to lift up a full grown dragon, with speed and reflexes as fast as my own. He could cling onto any surface and had an incredible sense of balance, and later on in the story, he could shoot spider webbing from his wrists." Henrietta awed as I continued my description into Peter's life, about how he lost his uncle, and how he learned about the phrase "With great power comes great responsibility".

"What an incredible story... Were there more super heroes besides Spiderman?" Henrietta asked, her eyes shining. I chuckled, telling her about various heroes. Superman, Batman, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, the Fantastic Four and even the X-Men. Henrietta listened with great interest, never missing a single detail.

"Wow, your world truly has amazing stories." said an amazed Henrietta. I nodded.

"Yeah. I always read books about super heroes. And like I said, I wanted to grow up to be just like them. I wanted to be a hero with special powers, to save the damsel in distress and be known among the people... But being a hero is tough. I always saw it in the books, but I never realized the amount of sacrifice and pain they did and felt to reach where they were. I understand it now though." I said, my voice dying down as I spoke. Henrietta silently listened.

"Ever since I came to Tristein, I've fought and survived to many battles. Some of them I won, more of them I lost. Those losses made me realize how weak I was... that I was unable to protect those I loved. I was not as strong as Superman. I was not as smart as Batman, nor as fast as Spiderman. Louise almost died because I couldn't protect her. We almost lost you as well. So I vowed to myself that I would get stronger not matter what it takes. If I become a demon, so be it. As long as I have the strength and will to protect the ones I love, I'll do anything..."

Henrietta silently cupped my face in her hands, turning my head towards her.

"You've done so much for all of us Michael. Listening to your stories, your history and your feelings made me realize how lucky I am to have a Knight such as you serve me. Thank you Michael, do all of your sacrifices. Thank you for being there for Louise when she needed you, and thank you for saving me when I fell into despair. Thank you for everything." She paused, her eyes turning serious. "It's all right Michael. We know that you are more than capable of protecting us. But what you're doing now is only going to make you all alone. I don't want that for you, and I'm sure Louise and everyone else feel the same way. You don't have to become a demon to protect us Michael. As long as you stay by our sides, that alone is the assurance we need."

Henrietta's words hit me deep in my heart, and I felt myself chuckle. Tears streamed down my eyes, and she pulled me into a hug.

"It's okay Michael. You can let it out. We are friends, are we not?" That made me crack. I held her and wept, more than I ever had in my entire life. Henrietta silently held me, stroking my hair as I took in her scent. I held onto her, and time seemed to freeze, the two of us relishing each others presence.

I didn't know how long I cried for, but when I finally stopped, I let her go, taking in her smile. I smiled back. Suddenly, Henrietta's features stuck out, and I felt a growing desire within me. She noticed it, staring with the same longing I had. She leaned in.

Then my vision flashed white.

I was crawling on to of Henrietta, kissing her passionately, ripping off her night gown with my bare hands. Henrietta kissed me back with the same passion, her hands roaming around my bare back as I fondled her breasts. We broke apart to breathe, and she stroked my cheek.

_I love you Michael..._

A piercing pain shot through my brain, and with a cry of anguish, I was back in my world, on the ground, clutching my head so hard my demon claws dug into my skull.

"Michael, whats wrong?!" I heard Henrietta call out. A set of footsteps followed.

"Michael! Are you all right? What happened?!" I heard Louise say. The pain increased, and I blacked out.

…...

Amy watched with suppressed anguish on her flying wind dragon as Michael's power fluctuated, the magic in the air rising and falling at a rapid rate. Hatred, anguish, love and despair rushed through her as she watched her beloved once again experience what Dorian called 'Boundary Cutting'. Normal men and women would not be able to sense the magic disruption, not even most Magi could sense it, but she was no longer an ordinary person. Bestowed the power of the Myozunitorin, her touch with magic was stronger than any living being in Halkeginia. Sensing magic to her was an unconscious act, much like breathing.

She turned, taking her eyes off Michael and placing Dorian in their sights, who sat behind her. He watched with a cold, detached expression, his arms crossed as he sat up straight.

"What is it you're trying to accomplish? What is boundary cutting?" she asked Dorian. He was silent for a moment, before closing his eyes.

"It is a special potion that I developed over the years. If anyone were to drink it, the potion would allow them to see another dimension of their life, where they made a different choice. Think of it as observing all the possibilities of your actions."

"But why? Why did you make me give him that potion? Why does he need to know?" Amy asked, confused. She stat up, shifting herself into a move comfortable position as she waved her wand, unconsciously increasing the power of her invisibility spell. Dorian shook his head.

"There will come a time when his choice will determine the fate of this world. I'm just making sure he steers the right course."

"By making him suffer?! Haven't you made him go through enough? Not only did you nearly kill his master, you threatened his life on more than one occasion, despite Master Astor strictly ordering to leave him alive!" Amy said, her temper rising. Dorian was always so secretive. Even in Master Astor's services, there were things that he just wouldn't say no matter what you did or said to him. It was because of that Master Astor kept him in his service; he could observe his actions more closely. There is a saying: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

"It is the only way I can think of. And believe me, I've thought about it for a very long time." said Dorian, the bitterness rising in his voice. Amy flinched at the bitterness, not out of fright, but our of realization. He was loathing himself. She could feel it.

Amy eyed Dorian's features once more. She could not place it, but every time she looked at him, she felt something. When she was with Dorian, she felt safe. She felt that she could rely on him to get the job done and support her through thick and thin. Even when she first met him, Master Astor had allowed Dorian to tutor her in their ways of magic. He was also the one who taught her martial arts, instructing her with an observant eye, gently correcting her when needed. She appreciated his kindness, and saw him as a sort of older brother she never had. But why is it he was so concerned about Michael all the time?

Amy's head turned as she sensed a rush of magic, her reinforced eyes darting towards the entrance of the academy. There, she saw a small, blue haired girl with a long shepherds crooked staff, staring at them. Amy was sure that she could not see them, but it was very possible that the blue girl could sense them. Amy lifted up her wand, only to be stopped by Dorian.

"Leave her. She is an important asset to the next phase."

Amy reluctantly put away her wand, wondering what that girl could possibly do. The girl shook her head, rushing towards the entrance of the castle. Amy took one more look at Michael, who was now unconscious. She took a deep breath.

"We should report back to Master Astor."

...

Tabitha stood at the entrance of the castle, straining her senses to find the source of power that she had been feeling for the past two weeks. From what she had observed, they had all happened proximal to Michael's location. Determined to find out what it was, she kept a close eye on Michael, doing what she could to try and solve the mystery. However, like a stream of water, whenever she came close, it slipped away between her fingers. Whoever was watching Michael was a strong mage.

Her search was cut short when she sensed a massive fluctuation of magic, coming from Henrietta's quarters. The power was massively similar to that of Michael's demonic power when he went berserk. That idea alone made her abandon her search, briskly rushing towards the entrance. She did not want to risk Michael going berserk again. He was a dangerous variable, and she needed to keep a close eye on him, feeling that she was one of the only mages who could actually take him on if it ever came to that. She was used to fighting odds that were not in her favour, much like he was.

She just hoped that it would never come to that.

...

Louise POV

"Michael, whats wrong?! Please, answer me!" I called out to Michael. I touched his shoulder, only to recoil in pain. His skin felt like it was on fire! He laid on the floor in a fetal position, his hands clutching his head. Henrietta and I tried to pull his hands away, doing our best to get him to calm down but nothing seemed to work. Our eyes were drawn to the runes carved into his left hand, glowing an ominous bloody red.

"Why is this happening?!" I cried out helplessly. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst. Henrietta seemed the same way as she shook her head.

"I don't know! We were just talking, and then suddenly he froze..." replied Henrietta, taking out her wand. She used a levitation spell to place Michael on her bed as my eyes bulged in realization.

"He froze? Again?!"

"You mean this happened before?" she asked. My eyes dropped to the floor, and I took a deep breath.

"...Yes your highness. It has been going on for the past two weeks. He never spoke about it, so I never thought much of it until today..." Henrietta gently held my hands, and I stared back into her ocean blue eyes.

"Please tell me about it."

I opened my mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by the door opening. Tabitha rushed in, her staff at the ready.

"Tabitha! What are you doing here?" I asked. She took one glance around the room, examining the situation.

"Heard something. Bad feeling." She replied. She was instantly beside us, examining Michael with a practiced eye. "He froze again?"

"Y...Yes. How did you know?" Henrietta asked. Tabitha and I then explained the situation to Henrietta, telling her our experiences. Tabitha explained her side of the story while I explained mine. The information troubled Henrietta greatly, her expression becoming more and more fearful.

"But why has he not told us something was wrong? Surely, this is more than it seems?" Said Henrietta. Tabitha and I nodded in agreement. We were silent for a moment.

"What should we do? At this rate, things could get even worse from here..." I said, looking back at Michael. Oddly enough, he seemed at peace. His body had calmed down, and he looked like he was just sleeping. None of the pain he felt could be seen.

"For this to happen now, when we are less than two weeks away from attacking Albion..." said Henrietta, sharing my sentiments. Tabitha remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Worry later. Infirmary now."

...

I found myself standing an empty abyss of darkness. I slowly turned, trying to find any source of light, any sign of life, but there was nothing. The darkness stretched on as far as I could see, and yet when I looked down at myself, I was bathed in a silver light. I looked up, seeing no moon, but more darkness. What's going on?

_I love you Michael..._

I whirled around, trying to detect the source of the voices. There were three, all of them uttering the same phrase at the same time. Amy, Henrietta, and Louise.

_I love you too_.

This time, the voice was mine. I whirled around again, seeing a Silhouette of myself. How I knew it was me, I wasn't sure. Something within me, another instinct, a sixth sense, told me. This figure... _was _me.

The figure walked forward, bathing himself in the same silver light that covered me. Indeed, it was me, with many differences. Instead of my leather armour, he wore a dark gray, denim jacket. Underneath his jacket was a white tunic, with dark gray slacks. He wore leather boots that reached up to his knees, and in his left hand was a silver, cusped Falchion. The hidden blade was on his right hand. He didn't have my demon arm.

I cried out as a piercing heat shot through my left hand, my body tensing up like a fully strung bow. The other me then flashed, rapidly changing between Louise, Henrietta, Amy and himself. With great struggle, I lifted up my left hand, taking a look at the Gandalf markings. They were glowing an ominous, bloody red, and a torrent of emotions washed over me. Love, anguish, hatred and despair threatened to take over my mind as I tried to control the tsunami of power fluctuating within my body. Voices followed. Loving words, promises that I made, promises they made, and words that I do not remember saying, yet I knew that I said them, and kept them.

And yet, even though I was buried in the deepest, darkest corner of my power, a single question radiated in my mind:

Which which of these emotions... are mine?

"_**Which indeed."**_

My head shot up at his voice. The pain remained, but the other me was no longer there. Standing in his place, was my demonic self, grinning wolfishly. He wore the same getup he had when we first met, the only difference being his missing helmet. On his forehead, was a shining yellow crystal, with four black arcs residing on each side. The pain in my left hand intensified as he closed in on me.

"What do you want?" I growled, willing down the pain. My body was sizzling like a steak on a grill, the heat becoming heavier as my other self approached me. I endured it.

"_**Doing what any other inner self would do. I'm fulfilling your innermost desires."**_

"Yeah, because everyone wants to know how a steak feels like on the grill."

"_**Hmph. Shows what you know. The pain you're feeling is not coming from me. It's coming from your Gandalf power."**_

"What are you talking about? Are you saying my powers are sentient?!" I shouted. His face turned serious.

"_**No. But let me give you a small piece of information that I've learned from staying within you. Your Gandlaf powers are affecting the way you think. It's altering your inner thoughts, manipulating your feelings."**_

"Give me one good reason why I should believe any of your crap." I snarled, and my other self grinned at me.

"_**You want a reason? Fine, I'll give you one. When was the last time you had, 'feeelings of love' for that master of yours?" **_he said, putting emphasis on feelings. My train of thought stopped, the gears in my head working backwards to think of something. And yet, the longer I searched, the closer I came to realize that he was right. Thinking about it now, the last time I said I loved Louise was back when I fought her father. That was over a month ago, before my evil self appeared. He grinned.

"_**It's only a theory at the moment, but let's put our brains to work. When a Mage summons a familiar, they are bound by the contract, and are forever bound to serve as long as both parties live. I have existed for thousands of years, and yet I have never once seen a familiar abandon their master. Not even Sasha abandoned Brimir. In fact, she sacrificed herself for him. Why is that? Why is it that familiars, who are pulled from vast lands beyond time and space, stay with their masters? What do you think?" **_he asked me, grinning all the while. Everything started coming together.

My sudden love for Louise.

My devotion to her home.

My will to protect her.

I looked back down at my Gandalf runes, which were still glowing red. The pain had numbed itself, but my body was still burning with a mild heat. Were these runes the source of everything? Was my love for Louise... a lie?

"_**Bingo. The runes are the source. The contract literally binds the master and familiar together, altering their state of minds in order to make sure that the contract remains fulfilled. Your little master's feelings for you are most likely true. However, I can't say the same for you."**_

"How? Why?"He shook his head.

"_**That's something you'll have to find out for yourself."**_

The dark world flashed white.

...


	37. If You're Not The One Part 1

Change my Destiny 37: If You're Not The One

The Next Day, 4AM

My eyes snapped open, and my body unconsciously snapped itself upright. Adrenaline rushed through me as I tried to calm down and think, closing my eyes and giving my head a good shake. There was no pain, thank God for that. As I opened my eyes again, the moonlight hit my face, making me flinch. What time is it? Covering my eyes with my left hand, I took a quick look at my surroundings, realizing that I was in the infirmary. Louise was sleeping on the desk beside me.

"It's night? How long was I out for?" I muttered to myself as I got out of the bed. Louise slept soundly, locks of her hair falling over her peaceful expression. I quietly stroked her head, thinking about what my other self said. Were my feelings for Louise... this world, really a lie?

"Yo, Illimite. How long was I out?" I thought, waiting patiently for a reply as I watched over Louise, feeling his presence in the back of my mind. After a few moments, he came forward.

"_**You've been out for several hours; It's already morning."**_

"Crap..." I whispered to myself. Before I could think further, Illimite continued.

"_**I suppose I owe you an apology. I knew about the repercussions of the summon ceremony but... I felt that you didn't need to know."**_

"Well, I can't blame you for something as crazy as this. Altering someone's state of mind? Isn't that illegal here? Still, how the hell did it happen? What is the summon ceremony? How did it start?"

"_**The summon ceremony was originally something we used to combat the black beast. During our battle, we developed magical restraints specifically for the minds of the beast's minions in order to make up for the lost strength of our army. After the countries settled and the worlds split, many found the spell a convenient service that they could use. I was against it, debating that it was immoral and was a blight on the human will. I held it back for many years, until I died."**_

"And then they took advantage of the opportunity... What about the whole void mages summoning humans thing? Was that something you designed?"

"_**Yes. The minions of the black beast, as powerful as they were, were still beasts. They lacked the intelligence that make's humans and elves so fierce. This made human summons much more complicated. As you can tell from your studies on Earth, the brain is extremely complicated. I was successful in creating a bind, but I knew of the dangers. Before I died, I rigged the spell so that only void mages, or descendants of mine, are able to use the void. I also made it that there can only be four void mages. One from Tristein, one from Gallia, one from Romalia, and one from Albion. Too many void mages would cause chaos."**_

"Not Germania?"

"_**Germania didn't exist back then. It used to be apart of Tristeinian territory, until what became to be known as the bloody rebellion. There were philosophers, as well as nobles who believed money is what makes a noble, and that-."**_

"As much as I like history, I just recovered from another stupid revelation. Can we not go talk about this for once?" Illimite silently withdrew his conscience, and I gave my head another shake, trying to process the information. Damn it all. How am I supposed to keep up with all this information?

Louise stirred as I sat back down on my bed, her stiff head slowly rising. She set her gaze on me, her eyes squinting for a few seconds. I waved.

"Sup sleepy head. Have a nice dream about little ol' me?" I grinned. Louise's eyes slowly widened as she realized that I was awake. I was about to make another comment, but Louise cut me off, pouncing on me as her eyes watered, effectively driving the air out of my lungs.

"Michael! You stupid dog! How dare you make your master worry about you? Always flirting with other girls, keeping to yourself, not trusting in me... Didn't we promise that we would do things together? Isn't that why you went through all that trouble to train me? You stupid, lying dog!" Louise sobbed, weakly beating her fists onto my shoulders as she bawled. I sighed, pulling her close to me. A warm feeling spread in my chest, swelling the closer I held her.

I immediately pushed her away.

"M-Michael, what's wrong?" asked Louise, startled. Her eyes were wide with worry and surprise, filling me with guilt. I looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"I... I don't... It's hard to explain." I stumbled across my words, trying to find some sort of excuse. My gaze fell upon the Gandalf markings, and a sudden burst of anger raced through me. I looked away, covering the runes with my other hand.

"Why? Why won't you tell me whats wrong? Don't you trust me?" Each word hit my heart like a jackhammer. When I didn't reply, Louise clenched her fists and grit her teeth, holding back more tears. She swallowed hard.

"What's happening to us?"

"... I wish I knew." I replied after a moment of thought. I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. With another sigh, I walked towards the window, hoping that some fresh air would clear my head.

"You know, it's not nice to watch people while they're conversing. Kinda creepy if you ask me." I said to the presence above me as I opened the window. Tabitha, sitting on one of the Castle balconies, leaped inside.

"Standing guard." said Tabitha. As stoic as ever I see.

"T-Tabitha! You were still there?" cried out Louise in surprise. Wait, she's been up there for how long?

"You know I can protect myself." I replied. Tabitha cast her gaze onto the floor.

"...I was worried." she replied almost inaudibly. Even with my stronger hearing I still had trouble. Jeez, how the hell does she do that? With a sigh, I placed my hand on her head, ruffling her hair, which was surprisingly smooth and silky. Tabitha let out a small grunt.

"You know, you shouldn't be so self conscious of your feelings. It's nice to just say things every once in a while. Don't you guys have psychology over here or something? Keeping to yourself does have its repercussions. Although, I can't say I'm one to talk..." I replied. Tabitha nodded as I pulled away, silence creeping in as we walked over to Louise, sitting down. Tabitha sat there like a doll, unmoving, no emotion on her expression. I awkwardly scratched the back of my head. I need to think of something fast.

"...Say Tabitha, what do you know about the Gandalf? Or about Brimir in general?" I asked. My question threw Louise off, and Tabitha said nothing, eyeing me with suspicion. I put up my hands in defeat.

"Fine, I get it. Sheesh-"

"Brimir... Mage of the Beginning." replied Tabitha, cutting me off. Louise stepped in.

"It's as she said. He was the very first mage to ever exist. It was an ability said to be granted to him by God after humans were driven from the holy land. From there, he taught those who followed him magic. Those followers came to be known as Brimir's Saints, spreading the lore of magic and God's word across the known world. The students and descendants of these apostles rose to nobility, and disputes between Brimir's sons and followers after his death created the modern human kingdoms as they are known today." Louise concluded.

Wait a second... what? Brimir was the mage of the beginning? Magic granted by God? What about the war with the Black Beast?

"Why the sudden interest?" Louise asked, cutting off my train of thought. I'll have to ask about that later.

"I want to find out whatever I can about these runes. There's something about them that's been bothering me." I muttered. Realizing what I just said, I turned just in time to see Louise stomp towards me and grab my left hand.

"I knew it! There's something wrong isn't there? What are you hiding? What did you find out? What did Brimir tell you?!" Louise shouted, her eyes stained with tears. I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to know the truth, that these runes were dangerous. But how could I? Telling her the truth meant risking our relationship. Not just as a couple, but as Master and Familiar. She would most likely never be able to look at summoning the same way again.

"I wish I could tell you, but I'm not even sure of it myself. That's why I need to know what these are." I said sternly, pulling my hand away. "This God damned contract has caused us both way too much trouble, and I want to know why." Before I could continue, Tabitha interrupted me.

"My Uncle... Scholar of Brimir." Her voice was unusually loud. Louise looked at her with awe, her jaw almost dropping to the floor.

"Your uncle is a Scholar of Brimir?!" Shouted Louise again. Scholar of Brimir? Was it that big of a deal?

"Damn it Louise, keep your voice down! You're making too much noise! We're in the frigging infirmary!" I said, irritated. Realizing her mistake, Louise calmed down, but Tabitha shook her head.

"It's alright. Silence spell on. But yes, my uncle is a Scholar." said Tabitha, a hint of pride deep within her eyes and voice. And for the first time in my life, Tabitha smiled. She looked really cute when she did.

"You must really love your uncle to smile like that. Smile more often will ya? You look cute when you do." I winked at Tabitha. Surprise and embarrassment wiped her smile off her face, and she whacked me in the head with her staff. Louise gave me another glare of jealousy as I laughed, defending myself from Tabitha's assault.

"Alright, back to business. So your uncle is a scholar of Brimir right? Would it be possible for me to meet him?" I asked, interrupting another one of Tabitha's strikes. Tabitha nodded, pulling her staff away.

"Sent a letter home... you two are my guests." said Tabitha. That's the Tabitha I know. Always ahead of the game. Louise however, didn't look so sure.

"I wouldn't mind going, but what about the war? We only have a week left!"

"A week is plenty of time. How long does it take to get to Gallia anyway? Two days? Besides, they're only going to capture the port right? I think that Germania and Tristein's army will be able to handle it. Besides, I think Henrietta will understand if I explain-" I started, but was cut off. My Gandalf runes began to throb as another voice entered the room.

"It's alright. I think that you should go." All three of us turned towards the door, and lo and behold, Henrietta was there. The throbbing intensified as soon as I laid my eyes on her, telling me to get out of here.

"P-Princess!" shouted Louise. Henrietta smiled at her friend as Louise fell on one knee. Tabitha and I slowly followed as Henrietta approached us, lifting up Louise.

"Please, there's no need to be so formal. We're all friends here." smiled Henrietta. Tabitha and I stood up.

"It's good to see you princess. But before we get sidetracked, you're okay with me leaving?" I asked, ignoring the pain. Henrietta nodded.

"Alright then. Let's head on out to Gallia." I replied. Louise, Tabitha and I headed towards the exit.

"Michael, please wait. May I speak with you alone?" called out Henrietta. We all stopped. The feeling within me grew stronger, and my Gandalf runes began to itch. Louise and Tabitha cast their eyes back, but I kept mine forward. I already knew what she wanted.

"...You guys go on ahead. I'll meet you at the entrance." Unsure of our decision, Louise reluctantly left, Tabitha towing her along. I cast my gaze on the floor, ignoring the pleading look Louise gave me, and Tabitha shut the door behind her, leaving the two of us alone. I stood there staring blankly at the door, making no movement; trying by best to feel nothing at all, trying my best to keep my head straight and my mind clear of the stirring emotions. The itch on my left hand grew, forcing me to dull it down by clenching my fist.

"Henrietta..." I muttered, but she cut me off.

"...Do you know why I'm letting you go?"

"You don't want Louise or I to fight in the war?"

"Well, that's part of it. I too want to know what has been happening. Also... I don't want you to fight just yet." I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but kept my silence as she continued. "I want you to be our trump card. This way, we will have an upper hand against the enemy... and just in case whatever happened yesterday happens again..."

She did bring up a good point. What if I were to suddenly blank out, or my powers went haywire? That one moment where I lose control may be all it takes to lose my life... or the lives of everyone else.

"Alright. I'll do what I can." I replied. I turned towards her, staring deep into her eyes. She stared back, not with sadness, not with regret but with longing. Henrietta hesitated for a moment, wanting to speak her mind. I patiently waited for her response.

"Michael... do you have a lover?"

The question came out of the blue, but I suppose I should have expected it given the earlier events of the day. Still, there was no time to mask my bewilderment. Sorrow washed over me as I pondered her question, thinking back to Louise's love for me; to my fake love for her. Thinking about it now though, it may have not been so fake. Sure, she was bossy, had serious temper issues and was loyal to a fault. Sure, the Gandalf runes screwed with my head, but that didn't change how the time we spent together was real. From the circumstances, I most likely would have had some feelings for her anyway, given the amount of time we spent together.

I thought about Amy, about how much she had changed, about how she was no longer the Amy that I loved, but at the same time remained the same. Outgoing and cool headed with a strong sense of justice. We would no doubt fight again one day, either through Dorian, Astor, or our own personal feelings. Still, even though things may be different, I knew deep in my heart that if she asked to be with me again, I would make her mine. After all this was over, we could settle down in this world, both understanding it and each other, as we are both not of this world.

But when did Henrietta fall in love with me? Was it when I saved her from Wales? Was it my loyalty to her? There's no reason to think her love for me was fake; Henrietta was too honest for that. I also knew all too well the pain that she felt after losing Wales, the need to drive yourself forward, the heavy loneliness at night when you realize you are truly alone in the world. The feeling of knowing that the love you once had will never return, never be the same again... the desperate need to search for another...

I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustrated. It was so much easier when I was just in love with Louise, no need for this pick and choose crap. Still, I needed to make a choice. Whatever it was though, there would be no turning back.

"Please Michael, I need to know." Henrietta said, breaking my chain of thought. "Do you have a lover?" I closed my eyes.

"I _had _a lover." I replied, trying to buy time. Henrietta nodded, casting her gaze on the floor.

"Indeed. Her name was Amy right? She's with the enemy, isn't she?" she replied, holding back her tears. "I know how it feels..."

"Yes... I should probably give you an apology too. Now I know how you felt when you left with Wales... Even though things may be different, even though I may bring about the end of everything we've worked for, I know deep in my heart that if she asked to be with me again, I would make her mine. No questions asked." I shook my head, holding my emotions back. The itch on my hand grew, much to my annoyance. After a few silent moments, she nodded.

"I've always felt as if I could never love again... After losing Wales, I just wanted everything to disappear... I wanted to go back to those happy days, where it was just Wales and I. No responsibilities as royalty, no duties as a princess... I wanted to escape everything." Henrietta choked out, beginning to cry. I stood there, unmoving, letting her continue.

"But then you but then you showed me that running away wouldn't solve anything. You showed me that even though things may never be the same, I could still be happy... that I could still be loved. Watching you from afar... hearing stories about your world, learning more about what you believe... They're all precious memories of you and I." Henrietta smiled as tears streamed down her face as she brought her hands to her chest.

"Before I knew it, something inside me changed. At first, I knew it was wrong. I didn't want to hurt my friendship with Louise... my friendship with you. But I feel like if I don't tell you now, I'll never see you again." she took a breath.

"I love you Michael,"

My world flashed white for a split second, before returning to normal. In that second, a torrent of scenes passed over me. I saw my other self and Henrietta together. The love the two of them shared washed over me as I jealously watched. They married, and my other self became King, ruling through the guidance of his principles from Earth, striving to reach equality and diminish the wall between commoners and nobles.

However, the two of them did not die together.

Time went on. My other self watched as Henrietta became older, enduring the effects of harbouring the beast; extended life. By the time Henrietta died at age of 68, my other self stopped ageing at 45. The two of them lived a long and full life together, but he could not shake the shame and regret of not being able to die with her. He cursed his elven blood, cursed at the beast, and swore an oath to her that he would find death and join her soon.

But he lived. For 100 more years, he lived. No matter how many battles he fought, no matter how strong his opponents were, no matter what race, he always came out alive. No matter how grievous a wound he was given, no matter how lethal a strike he took, his body would regenerate and survive.

The beast inside would not let him die, and in his despair his emotions were destroyed.

The flood of memories ended as fast as they came. I shook my head as a sudden dizziness washed over me. What the hell was that?

"Michael?" Henrietta asked, breaking me out of my chain of thought. My thoughts snapped back to reality. Right, she confessed to me. I closed my eyes, trying to focus. Ignoring the growing pain in my left hand, I stared back into Henrietta's swollen eyes. I hesitated for a moment, before steeling myself.

"...I'm glad you feel that way Henrietta. I'm glad that you were able to love again, and you don't know how happy it made me to hear you say you loved me." I started. Henrietta's eyes glowed with hope, and I felt my heart being crushed under her gaze.

"But right now, I don't know what I feel. I don't know if what I feel is real, or is an illusion. I don't know if what I love is what I want, or what I'm being told. I don't know... what to feel." Henrietta stopped short of breath as I continued. "When I was asleep... I realized something. No, the beast inside me told me something. Something that he knows only because he is inside me. Only because he is apart of who I am..." I showed her the runes.

"The Gandalf runes have been manipulating my feelings. Everything I've been feeling about Louise, about Halkeginia, about this universe were all because of my contract with Louise. Brimir also confirmed it for me. Every every familiar to ever exist has had their feelings manipulated by the contract so that they would be obedient to their masters." Henrietta gaped at the revelation, but I stopped her before she could interrupt.

"I want to find out more about these runes. I want to find out what I can about this world's history. I feel that if I can find something more about the contract, I may be able to find out what I truly believe... who I really am. So..." I slowly turned towards the door. Henrietta didn't stop me.

"I'm sorry. Right now, I can't accept your feelings. Not until I settle this once and for all." I opened the door.

"...Then I will wait for you however long it takes." she replied with conviction. I shut the door.

...

Later that morning

King Joseph sat on his throne, doing his best to keep himself awake as his Knight filled out the latest reports from the commoners. His face rested on his right fist, boredom draining his senses so fast he swore that he could sleep with his eyes open at any moment. The scathing look his wife, Sheffield, gave as she sat beside him, was the single line that kept him up.

Joseph almost jolted from his seat as the doors to the throne room abruptly burst open, a messenger running inside.

"My Lord! Letters from Lady Tabitha have arrived!" said the messenger. The Knight, Sheffield, and Joseph all shifted their attention to the messenger. Joseph sighed with relief as he sat up straight, glad that the boring report was put on hold. The messenger walked up to Joseph, and knelt before him, handing him two letters. A simple, rolled up piece of parchment, and an envelope bearing their family crest. Joseph took it, and the messenger excused himself.

"Would it be alright if we put this meeting on hold, Frederick? I would like to examine this in private." said Joseph. Frederick bowed, leaving the room without a word. Joseph sighed as he left, placing the envelope on his lap and unrolled the piece of parchment.

"What does it say?" asked Sheffield with great interest. He rose up from her seat, and stood beside Joseph as he read the letter. The two of them frowned as they read it's contents.

"The school was attacked?!" shouted Sheffield. Joseph shared her shock and rage, but kept his silence as he read the letter. It described the school was attacked by mercenaries intent on holding the school hostage, in order to lure out...

"The Gandalf..." awed Sheffield and Joseph. Joseph had always been interested in history. The history of the world, the elves, the theories and evolutionary advancements their societies had developed through magic, he knew it all. The legend of Brimir was no different. Thanks to Sheffield, whose father was a Priest of Brimir, Joseph's education skyrocketed. One prophecy in particular had stuck to his mind ever since they married 20 years ago, and his father in law baptized him as an Apprentice of Brimir. The rising of the void meant that a terrible disaster was near.

"The prophecy is coming true..." whispered Joseph, too low for Sheffield to hear. She gave him a startled look as Joseph abruptly stood from his seat, parchment and envelope in hand.

"I will be back soon my love. For now, I must present this letter to the Queen. After all, it has been a while since Tabitha wrote back to us. She's been waiting long enough."

...

Joseph quietly entered the open garden, taking great care to remain on the stone walkway as he approached. The open garden sat atop the roof of Gallia's castle, filled with flowerbeds, trees and man made ponds, birds of all kinds flying in to create nests and rest on the branches. The sun poured onto the garden, giving it a radiant, heavenly glow. At the centre of the garden sat Tabitha's mother, who watched the lands below in peaceful bliss. Hearing him approaching, she waved her wand, using her wind magic to turn her wheel chair.

"Ah, Joseph! How may I help you?" she greeted. She used her wind magic to push her wheel chair forward, and Joseph knelt down, taking her hand in his. He kissed the back of her hand.

"Your presence is always a help to me, Isabella. Knowing that your health is stable brings me great joy." Isabella chuckled, followed by Joseph as he took out Tabitha's letter. "And I come bearing good news; another letter from your daughter has arrived." Joseph handed her the letter as her eyes widened with surprise and happiness.

"Oh, thank you Joseph. It has been quite some time since she last wrote to us. Three months I believe?" Joseph stood up and walked behind Isabella, grasping the handles on her wheel chair. Joseph then pushed her back to the garden, inhaling the scent of flowers.

"Yes, it has been hasn't it? The last letter she wrote spoke about her familiar, did it not?"

"Oh yes, and how it's taken fancy of the young knight! I wonder how she's doing with him... I wonder how he looks!" she giggled, opening the letter with a wave of her wand. The magic opened the envelope with a swift_ pffft_, reached into the envelope's contents and pulled the letter out. With a smile, Isabella read the letter, nostalgically stroking the paper as she read her daughter's cursive hand writing. Joseph snuck a peek at the letter over his sister in law's shoulder.

"Oh! What's this? She plans on coming back with guests? And so soon! We must plan a welcoming party!" squealed Isabella. Joseph smiled as he shook his head in quiet resignation. Isabella always loved throwing grand parties. While he did not mind one every now and again, it took a lot out of him. After all, he wasn't young anymore.

"Very well milady. I will have the servants prepare the best we have to offe-" Joseph started, but he cut himself off, sensing a presence nearby. His eyes darted left and right in readiness, Isabella staring at him in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked, bringing him back to his senses. Joseph coughed, regaining his posture.

"Nothing, just the old jitters." Joseph assured, trying to relax. However, the faint presence was still there, watching; waiting. Brushing it off as best he could, he pushed Isabella out of the garden and back to the garden entrance. She pushed her onto the elevator platform, waving his wand. The pulley mechanisms spun, bringing the platform down.

"Why don't you go and prepare for their arrival? I would like some quiet time for myself here, if you wouldn't mind my sister." said Joseph. Giving him a look of suspicion, she reluctantly nodded. Joseph watched her as she went down the elevator, doing his best to smile. It was hard however, with the presence right behind him.

"Wise King." sang someone behind him. "Planning a grand reception? Might I suggest tomato bruschetta? It is after all, a seasonal dish this time of year!"

Joseph clenched his fists as he turned towards his hated enemy. "What do you want elf?"

"Oh, Wise King! Such coldness in your otherwise pleasant voice! Why the hostility to someone you've made a pact with?"

"Pact?" spat Joseph as he lashed out his arms in anger, turning towards his foe. "You insult my family, threaten my kingdom with slavery and death, even going as far as endangering the relationship between my niece and her friends! There is no pact! Just a deal made of fear! You're nothing but a coward!"

"Oh, my!" The elf put his hands on his mask in mock shock before he curtseyed deeply, much to Joseph's annoyance. "My apologies if I made you feel that that way, I did not mean to do so. I merely wanted to fully explain the dangers that might befall your lovely young niece should she be without the Gandalf's expert protection."

"This is madness." Joseph closed her eyes and shook her head. "I should have never agreed to you or even listened to your ridiculous ramblings."

Joseph froze when the elf accelerated closer to him, their noses almost touching, his piercing eyes staring deep into his soul. He could see the insane and callous eyes behind the elf's mask.

"Wise King..." The elf spoke with a slow, irritating high pitched voice. "Perhaps you do not fully understand what will happen in the near future. Do you need see what will transpire again?"

"No! I…" Joseph tried to refuse, not wanting to see the images again. But the elf was one step ahead of him, already laying a gloved hand on his forehead.

His eyes squeezed shut of their own accord, hoping, praying that it will rid him of the horrible nightmares that flashed before him. Kingdoms burning. People dying. Monsters killing. Soldiers from all over the land, fighting a losing battle, darkness enveloping everything. He saw the whole world being swallowed by chaos. But what crippled him most was the sight of his niece and her friends, mutilated, feasted upon by the ancient black dragon.

"No! Stop! Stop it!" Joseph thrashed against the elf's hand. Finally he pulled away and fell to the floor, pulling out his wand. With a strangled cry, he cast an ice spell, hoping to destroy the elf but it was futile and he knew it. With a flick of his wrist, the elf casually brushed his spell, negating it altogether. His eyes glowed with delight.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see such sights for a second time Wise King, but you needed to be convinced after you turned away." cooed the elf, his shadow casting itself over Joseph. Joseph pushed himself up, arms shaking.

"I am not proud of myself. But…if there is a shred of humanity in the Gandalf, he will keep Tabitha safe."

"Oh, he shall, and such a powerful elf he is! The rush he gave me when we fought... Sasha would be so proud!"

Joseph's head snapped up, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Elf? You mean…he's one of you?"

"Well, part elf if you want to be precise, but yes he is one of us. Surely you've heard the rumours of the Blue Knightmare of Tristein? That's him, but no worries! He won't gobble up your precious niece. His heart is as human as yours, my Wise King." The elf bowed shallowly. "And fret not, with his coming, you will be able to witness his power soon enough."

"If…if he's as powerful as you say…couldn't he stop what I saw from coming true? Can't he…" started Joseph, but the elf interrupted him.

"Oh, I'm afraid not." The elf shook his head and wagged his finger. "How can he stop something he knows nothing about? All he will be able to really do is save a select few, when the time comes; And thanks to our pact, your niece will be one of them."

Joseph swallowed. "May she forgive me for what I must do."

"Oh, she will." the elf leaned forward. "Just remember your part in this arrangement."

Joseph's eyes hardened. "To you as well. It will not be wise to cross me, elf. If I find even the slightest hint of betrayal, you will feel my wrath." The elf laughed.

"Fear not, my Wise King. As the King of Arrows, I make it a discipline to always keeps my word."

...

Sorry if this took a while to get out. I've been stuck trying to get the part with Henrietta and Michael right for a while, constantly revising it. It pissed me off how I couldn't get the scene right, and even now I am still somewhat not satisfied, but it gives me what I need to further implement flags with Henrietta and Michael. I still haven't decided on who I want Michael to end up with, but I do have plans for when he finally decides.

Who do you think the Hero should end up with?


	38. A Welcoming Party Like No Other

Change my Destiny Chapter 38: A Welcoming Party Like No Other

Hey there guys, sorry about the delay with the latest chapter. It's been done for a while now, but I wanted to do so much more with it. Eventually, I gave up rewriting this and just decided to post it.

Also, thank you for the reviews and such, but like I said, a Harem will not be happening. You can complain and cry all you want for a harem, but its not happening.

Like I said before, the original goal that I have been keeping for this fanfic is to have a darker, more serious and action packed story, unlike the laid back, not so serious love comedy that was the lite novel and the anime. I understand that everyone wants all the girls to be happy, and believe me I do to. However, the Harem idea simply conflicts with my interests for the story. It also feels like a cheap cop out for story material. The potential conflicts and pairings that I can throw in when the hero chooses only one girl greatly outweigh the options I have when making a Harem.

Sorry, but the closest thing you'll get will be all the heroines having an interest in the hero, but he WILL choose one eventually, because it is a vital story point for reasons you will see in future chapters.

So if you aren't interested in reading my fanfic anymore, if you aren't happy there's gonna be a harem, well then I guess my fanfic isn't for you. Thank you for reading my work though, and for those who stay, I hope you enjoy what comes!

...

_Two Days Later_

"Welcome home, Miss Tabitha!" two single file lines of maids and servants bowed as we approached the Gallia castle, making room for us as we passed by. While it was out of customary respect, it was easy for me to feel the servant's gazes as Tabitha, Louise, Kirche, Siesta and I walked onwards.

"Sheesh, I thought it was just Louise's manor, but do all of the wealthy families have servants that greet them at their doorsteps?" I whispered to the others. Tabitha said nothing, Louise gave me a look which I ignored, and Kirche answered. "But of course darling! As nobles, a proper welcome is always necessary!" she exclaimed.

"I agree with Miss Kirche! Homecomings should always give you a sense of welcome, a place where you can always go no matter where you travel! Did your family ever welcome you home, Master?" said Siesta, her eyes gleaming as she called me 'Master'. I shrugged.

"For the most part, the most you get when you come home is a hey, a meal, and then silence. My family usually stuck to doing their own thing, and we kept conversations and things like that for the dinner table. Also, I thought I told you to stop calling me master." I replied. Siesta completely ignored my last comment.

"Oh Master, that sounds terrible! Perhaps if you were to come visit my family again, I could show you the joys of having a loving family!" smiled Siesta. Despite myself, I smiled in return as I gazed at the architecture.

"I still can't believe that Tabitha's a princess." I muttered, casting a glance at the bluette. Kirche spilled the beans when she forced herself along, wanting to experience the lavish pleasures Gallia offered again. Tabitha didn't seem to mind the revelation though.

"_You never asked."_ was her response. Yeah, because asking a 15 year old if she was a princess from another country was customary. Siesta tagged along because it was her duty, and probably because she wanted to remain close to me after apparently taking care of me in the infirmary while I was out cold.

Impressed wasn't even close to what I was feeling as we approached the castle walls. In fact, the only reason I wasn't blown away was because Tristein's was very similar; the difference being Gallia sat at the top of a hill which overlooked the lands below and was designed almost identically to Arabian architecture, while Tristein was closer to European. Four watch towers sat at each corner of the castle walls, with domed roofs. Surrounded by four walls, the Castle itself sat at the center, standing slightly above than the other towers and watching over the lands below. The walls were decorated with Flags bearing Gallia's insignia. The Castle itself surprisingly wasn't made of cement and stone like Tristein. Instead, the base foundation was made of high quality wood. Like all castles, everything about it screamed wealthy. Statues of previous kings stood tall by the walls and exquisitely dressed maids, butlers, and servants filled the halls. Hell they even had elevators here to help us up the hill of all things! Sure, the elevators weren't nearly as advanced as Earth's systems, but they function similarly. They were made of stone, utilizing a complicated system of pulleys and levers fortified and enhanced by Earth magic.

My examination was cut short when the servants backed away further, and a set of strong presences washed over me. My eyes darted towards the source. At the castle doorsteps stood a man and a woman, the King and his wife judging from their clothes. The man's hair was well combed and a brilliant sky blue, much like Tabitha's. His beard was finely trimmed and gave him a gruff look, but it was softened by the kind look in his dark green eyes and welcoming smile. He wore a long, dark blue fur coat that reached up to his ankles. Under his coat he wore a fine white shirt with golden curves and patterns etched into the edges of his collar and upper body, along with a thick leather belt to compliment his dark blue pants. In his right hand was a cane with a large ruby as the handle.

The woman wore much simpler clothing. She wore a sleeveless, indigo shirt under her short sleeved off shoulder dress, which was a simple black. Wrapped around her neck was a lavender blue scarf, and wrapped loosely around her forearms were pieces of see-through silk of the same colour, sewn and held together by golden bangles resting just above her elbows. Her hands were adorned with various rings, her ears pierced with expensive looking diamonds. Her dark auburn hair was long and thick, draping over her non surprisingly huge breasts. The man opened his arms wide, smiling from ear to ear. Tabitha, despite herself, smiled in return. We walked up the steps, kneeling before them.

"Welcome home Tabitha!" said the man, gently stroking Tabitha's head. He must be the famous uncle; Joseph The Wise the commoners called him. As we stood up, Tabitha gave a tender hug to the man.

"Uncle Joseph, Auntie Sheffield... I'm home!" said Tabitha. She took a few steps back. "These are my guests." As Tabitha gestured towards us, Joseph let out a soft hum of approval.

"As I'm sure you know, my name is King Joseph Augustine Oleans de Gallia. Please, allow me to look at your young faces." said Joseph. He laughed as he examined Louise.

"Ahh, you must be la Valliere. You look exactly like your mother, fierce and proud. Is she well?" said Joseph, chuckling lightly. Louise blushed at Joseph's comment, curtseying.

"My mother is doing well, your highness. Even now, she still trains herself daily."

"Ah, yes. The rule of steel was it? We used to fight together in the military. I'll tell you about it one day." nodded Joseph in response. He moved onto Siesta.

"Such a beautiful maid! Your parents must be proud of your looks. Tell me, would you like to serve at our castle?" Said Joseph, grinning as Tabitha's eyes flared. Was hitting on maids this guy's gimmick or something? Siesta blushed before she curtseyed, but I could tell she was very tense. I wanted to step in, but I refrained.

"I'm humbled by your generosity my Lord, but my services are..." she started, but Joseph laughed, patting her on the head.

"Haha, do not worry yourself young lady! I was just joking." Joseph gave Siesta a reassuring smile. "There's no need to be so formal; we're all friends here!" Siesta relaxed as Joseph moved onto Kirche.

"Miss Zerbst, it has been a while! Have you been keeping Tabitha out of trouble?" Joseph joked, making Tabitha blush slightly. Kirche curtseyed with a smile.

"It is good to see you again your Highness; I've waited a very long time to come visit again. Tabitha and I have been doing wonderfully." said Kirche formally. I was honestly surprised, but I suppose that even she would be in the presence of a King.

Joseph then moved onto me.

"**_Be careful. I'm sure you already felt it; __t__his man has powerful magic within him."_** warned Illimite. Joseph didn't say anything for a few moments, his gaze fixated on my cloak, hiding my right arm. As I started to frown in annoyance, Joseph flashed a smile.

"Ahh, you must be the young knight Tabitha told us about!"

Kirche, Siesta, Louise and Tabitha's gazes snapped towards us, and I blinked in surprise. Hell, I could even feel Illimite's surprise. Joseph nodded, humming happily as he walked around me, examining me from head to toe.

"Yes, quite right. My niece has sent us many letters speaking praise of you, young man! Why, even one letter mentioned about how she tried to woo you into-" Joseph was cut off as Tabitha and the other woman, who was silent till now, charged at him. Tabitha's staff met Joseph's gut, and Sheffield's open hand struck the back of his head.

"Stupid uncle." said Tabitha, her face as red as a tomato. Joseph crumpled over, holding his gut as he suppressed his laughter. Louise, Siesta and Kirche gaped at Tabitha as she hid her expression behind a book she produced out of her skirt pocket.

"Please forgive my husband's insolence. He enjoys teasing Tabitha." said the woman. She curtseyed. "My name is Sheffield. You must be the one known as Sir Michael Chevalier de la Diaz, am I correct?" I bowed back in response.

"Yes, that is my name. If I may ask, how do you know who I am?"

"You don't know? Rumors of your abilities have spread all over the land. Surely you should have known this would happen, Blue Knightmare of Tristein?" Sheffield eyed my cloak curiously. That's what people call me? Man, and here I was hoping Azure Knight would catch on. As I groaned inside, Sheffield's gaze changed from curiosity to piercing, much like a cat. I held down my insecurities and kept a blank expression. Her magical presence was overwhelming, almost drowning out everyone else' presence.

"No, you are right. Perhaps it is because I am not from this world, but I didn't think rumors of me would spread so quickly." I replied, trying to get a reaction out of her. To my surprise, Sheffield didn't react at all.

"Yes, indeed." Was all she said, as if she knew I wasn't from Halkeginia. She eyed my cloak again, and something in the back of my mind told me this woman was dangerous. The tension in the air rose as Sheffield and I entered a stare down.

The doors to the castle groaned, opening inwards. Everyone turned towards the door, and much to my surprise, a woman in a wheelchair rolled out. Her long hair shared Tabitha and Joseph's sky blue colour. Her white dress was adorned with various jewels and diamonds sewn into the material, with red and gold spiral patterns around her leg area. In the woman's right hand was a wand. She skillfully controlled the magic in the air, using wind to push herself forward.

"Ah, am I too late?" said the woman. Before we could say anything else, Tabitha ran forward. Unable to control her excitement, the woman hugged Tabitha with a squeal.

"Mother!"

"Oh, Tabitha! It has been too long! How have you been my dear?" Tabitha's mother stroked her hair lovingly as Tabitha hunched over to hug her. Her gaze fixed on the rest of us.

"Ah, where are my manners! Tabitha, will you please introduce me to your friends?" Tabitha's mother asked politely. As if on instinct, Tabitha let go of her mother and moved behind her, pushing her wheelchair forward.

"These are my friends." said Tabitha. Her mother smiled.

"Oh, you have made so many friends! It's wonderful to know that you are doing well in your schooling." Tabitha's mother clapped her hands together in delight as Kirche, Louise and I knelt down. We introduced ourselves.

"Oh please, enough with the formality. Those are for the court! Besides, it would not do for the feast I have prepared in celebration!" Tabitha's mother clapped her hands together. "My name is Isabella Hailey d'Orleans de Gallia. It is a pleasure to meet you." she smiled.

"Come! I have prepared a wondrous feast for all of you. Please do not hesitate to make yourselves feel at home!" I bowed.

"Truly, your kindness knows no bounds." I replied. She gave me another smile.

"Anything for my daughter and her friends. Shall we be off?"

The others walked forward first, with Tabitha, Isabella and I close behind. Louise and Siesta awed at Gallia's architecture, marveling at the unique and foreign designs as Kirche, Sheffield and Joseph guided them. I myself was impressed as well; Where Tristein used Stone and cement as building blocks for the castle, Gallia used wood and the natural earth. Natural vegetation, as well as man made gardens grew even within the confines of the castle halls. I did notice however there were no animals. Probably for the sake of keeping things clean I would assume. The floors were draped with complimentary red carpets and copper framed paintings. Along the walls were the rulers before Joseph, ranging back to Tabitha's ninth generation of grandfathers. I didn't see any pictures of Brimir's supposed sons. Although I did notice one painting that had a man who looked identical to Joseph. However, his beard was missing and his hair was slicked back. Was that Tabitha's Father? Joseph when he was younger? Probably the former, if these were previous kings.

Speaking of which, if Tabitha is the princess, then where is her father? Isn't he supposed to be the Ruler? I wanted to ask, but I got a bad feeling whenever I wanted to. Also, family matters within royalty were usually very serious; staying with Henrietta proved that. Plus, I didn't have the right to ask. It was a personal rule of mine; I never interfered with other people's lives unless they came to me first, out of respect for privacy. Still, I couldn't help but wonder as I eyed Isabella, Tabitha pushing her wheelchair forward. How did she become disabled? Does it have to do with Tabitha's missing father?

Isabella noticed my staring, and I immediately looked away, pretending to look past her at the paintings on the wall. From the corner of my eye, she smiled.

"It is wonderful to see your friends so happy. Why don't you join them Tabitha? Sir Knight?" I shook my head.

"Thank you for the kind offer, but I wish to stay with you. I'm sure Tabitha feels the same; you said it had been a while since the two of you last saw each other?" I asked politely. Isabella nodded.

"Yes, it has been hasn't it my dear?" she replied, looking back at her daughter. Tabitha nodded, and Isabella stroked her face, reminiscing about something.

"Are you doing well with your studies? Is there anything you struggle with at school?"

"No mother."

"I see." Isabella did not seem to mind Tabitha's stoic attitude. Perhaps Tabitha's always been like that? Isabella turned back around. "It's good to know you were safe." she concluded, and the conversation died. Well, that was short. Before I could say anything, Isabella looked at me.

"What about you Sir Knight? Has my daughter treated you well?" she smiled. I couldn't help but grin at the memories. Too many times during training Tabitha kept flashing me because she adamantly refused to wear anything but a skirt.

"Oh yes, your daughter has kept me very entertained. I can see now where Tabitha received her beautiful looks from." I grinned, winking at Tabitha. She fiercely glared at me, and Isabella giggled. I was unsure whether or not she noticed my pun or chose to ignore it.

"Oh, you flatter me. I'm just another old woman with a happy family. I could ask... for nothing more." Isabella fell silent, and Tabitha stared ahead, her perfect poker face returning. Silence reigned.

"Are you happy with your life sir knight?" Isabella asked, breaking the awkward silence. Tabitha shot me another glare. 'No funny business'. I smiled back at the both of them.

"I couldn't be happier. Being surrounded by those I love is something we both share milady. And please; call me Michael."

"Only if you call me Isabella."

"Then we have a deal." I smiled again. The sound of oak doors shifted my gaze forward. Two servants who were standing by two large wooden oak doors, which I assumed led to the Dining hall, pushed them open.

I did my best not to flinch as a massive wave of light and sound washed over me, numbing my senses. Shouted conversations, rattling utensils, glasses being touched together in toast, and orchestral music echoed rampantly throughout the ballroom. The floor was made out of a shiny, emerald green marble. Holding together the ballroom were various pillars, spiraling four stories upward. Attached to the ceiling was a huge chandelier, big and bright enough to illuminate the entire ballroom. At the very back of the ballroom sat a wide staircase branching off left at right, probably leading to the roof or a balcony. At the left hand side of the staircase was a large orchestral band, playing quick, upbeat music. On the right hand side sat several long tables, cluttered with plates of food and pitchers full of drinks. Various tables and chairs were scattered around the room, occupied by, to my surprise, both commoners and nobles. The two groups did not seem to pay attention to the other too much mind as they dined, focusing on their own peers and meals.

All the attention in the room shifted towards us as all of us walked into the ballroom.

"Hail, King Joseph Gallia! The Wise King has graced us with his presence!" shouted the two who opened the doors for us. Automatically, every single person in the room stopped everything they were doing, and knelt down onto one knee.

"LONG LIVE KING JOSEPH! LONG LIVE LADY ISABELLA!" they said in perfect unison. Joseph waved, walking into the ballroom with grace. The rest of us followed.

"My people," declared Joseph. "It brings me great joy to see such peace and prosperity between each and every one of you." His voice boomed throughout the hall, power radiating with each word. "Today is a wondrous day of celebration; today, our princess returns to us from her successful studies!" Joseph raised his arms as he gestured towards Tabitha. She curtseyed as everyone began to whisper amongst themselves. Many of them spoke about how much she has changed. It made me wonder what she looked like when she was younger.

"And with her she brought guests." He walked backwards, gesturing Louise, Kirche and I forward. "Here I present to you; Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, Kirche Augusta Frederica Von Anhalt Zerbst, and Michael Chevalier de la Diaz!" proclaimed Joseph. Great; more unwanted attention. Louise and Kirche stood tall and proud, so I decided to do the same. Joseph continued his speech.

"I expect all of you to treat them with the same respect you would treat each other! But enough of my jibber jabbering; let the feast continue!" and just like that, everyone went back to doing their own thing. Louise eyed me warily before Kirche grabbed her, dragging her off towards the tables. Joseph and Sheffield continued to mingle amongst the people, while Isabella, Tabitha, Siesta and I simply walked amongst the crowd. Many of them commented on Tabitha and how much she's grown, similar to how Cattleya and the other commoners did back at Louise's manor. It was a strange nostalgic feeling.

Still, it was obvious that they did not like me amongst them. Many of them whispered amongst themselves, unaware of my heightened hearing. I shut out their voices.

The party was as glamorous as it could get. In addition to the various meals and performances done by the band, Isabella had brought in performers, acting a ridiculous variation of one of Earth's most famous plays.

"Rosemary and Julio? Are you serious?" I stifled a chuckle as I watched a hilarious gender reversed version of Romeo and Juliet with Tabitha, her family, and Kirche and Louise. Isabella seemed to enjoy the play, clapping on occasion. Tabitha and Sheffield didn't pay attention, focusing more on their meals. Joseph, who sat beside me, grinned all the while, throwing and occasional perverted comment as he elbowed my ribs. I contributed as well, earning many embarrassed glares from Louise, who sat to my right. We sat on the second floor balcony, having a perfect view of the stage. I drew my eyes away from Julio's speech of Rosemary's beauty, cutting a piece of my steak. As I popped a few carrots into my mouth, I couldn't help but eye Tabitha as I washed my food down with a glass of water. To my amazement, Tabitha's meal consisted of four plates packed with a variety of meats, veggies, fruits and nuts, along with a bottle of wine.

For a girl with such a flat chest and a thin complexion, you would think that she wouldn't be so skinny. I felt a strong nudge hit my side, making me jump slightly.

"Ow, Louise!" I hissed, but Louise said nothing. She gave me a furious glare, them stared hard at the play, her brow furrowing. I sighed; she was probably just annoyed that I haven't been paying attention to her lately.

"You still haven't told me what happened with the princess." Muttered Louise. Ah, she did ask before the play started, didn't she?

"I thought I told you. Not. Here." I muttered, purging any thoughts of Henrietta. I didn't want to think about her right now. Louise pouted, but kept her arms to herself.

"Fine, But You're going to tell me later, do you understand me? Or I'll punish you." Louise threatened. I rolled my eyes, letting my mind wander. Still, I came here for a reason; to find more about the Gandalf. I turned to King Joseph, who made another perverted comment about how wonderful Rosemary would look in one of his personal maid outfits. I cleared my throat.

"Excuse me, King Joseph. If you don't mind me asking, do you have a library here?" curiosity sparked in everyone's eyes.

"But of course! Gallia has one of the most sacred and oldest libraries in all of Halkeginia, with recordings all the way back to the founder himself. Not only that, in Gallia there is a religious/historical group known as the Scholars of Brimir. It is said that it was founded by Brimir himself, in order to preserve the knowledge of the past. I myself am a scholar." said Joseph proudly.

"_Can you vouch for that?"_

"_**Indeed. I did establish a such a group many years ago. I am glad that it still remains, but we must be cautious. Nothing is invincible to time; things may have changed." **_replied , interesting.

"Would it be possible if I could use it sometime? Your library I mean; there is some history that I wish to look up." I replied. Joseph laughed as he patted my back.

"Of course, of course! Perhaps I will join you when you do; I could use a refresher course myself..."

…...

Third Person POV

_**Location: Abandoned mansion North of Galia**_

"The plan is proceeding just as you have foretold it, my master. Truly your brilliance knows no bounds."

"We'll see King. The beast within the boy is interfering... He should have gone to Albion by now. But no matter; perhaps this will further enhance our grip on the girl." Astor replied. He stood up from his throne, walking down the dusty stone steps. His footsteps echoed in the dark, abandoned throne room as he walked towards King, who knelt before him.

"Indeed, my master. I have already established a pact with Joseph. He won't be an issue."

"And what of the girl's mother?" said Astor. He stopped in front of King.

"Alive and well. Should we send Zwei?" replied King. He remained still as his master examined his kneeling frame.

"Yes; though he provided us with this mansion, he has outlived his usefulness to my plans. Besides, the girl has been waiting for revenge long enough. I'm sure she will appreciate finding her father and sister's killer after all these years. Avery!" Called out Astor. With a swirl of dust and magic energy, Amy appeared at his side, kneeling.

"You called my master?"

"Tell Zwei I wish to speak with him tonight. Tell him his chance to restore the council's power has come."


End file.
